CD Odyssey Disc 597: Radiohead

The good news about this next review is it is finally an album by this band that I could enjoy.  The better news was that there is only one album left by them for me to review.

Disc 597 is….In Rainbows

Artist: Radiohead

Year of Release: 2008 (digital version came out in 2007, but mine is a hard copy).

What’s up with the Cover? I don’t know. Is it a splatter of paint and a footprint that vaguely resembles the universe? Maybe it is just my mind trying to find pattern in random beeps, not unlike my relationship with most of Radiohead’s later music.

How I Came To Know It: Sheila is a Radiohead fan and for many years I would diligently buy her their latest album, assuming she would want them all.  Unlike me, however, she’s not a completionist, so it was never that important for her to have them all.

How It Stacks Up:  We have seven Radiohead albums, and of the seven “In Rainbows” is the best of the worst, which puts it fourth.

Rating:  2 stars but almost 3

“In Rainbows” is Radiohead’s best album in ten years (dating back to when “OK Computer” delivered their last “OK” album). I remember being pleasantly surprised when it came out and was actually looking forward to reviewing it, because I remember it being a return to form.  Despite going in the right direction, it is still a long climb up from “Amnesiac” and “Hail to theThief.”

The musical content of “In Rainbows” is definitely more listenable, and there are even melodies in this record, particularly on “Reckoner” and “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” which are strangely beautiful and where Thom Yorke’s “alien drowning in the tub” voice works to good effect.

This all comes together best on “All I Need” where I was reminded how great this band can be.  “All I Need” is a haunting song about desperate love, a slow and stark descent into self-loathing and masochism.  It opens:

“I am the next act waiting in the wings

I am an animal trapped in your hot car

I am all of the days that you choose to ignore

You are all I need.”

These are the bright spots, and there are more than a few on this record, but just as often production decisions are made that drown the melodies and voice alike into a wall of various sounds. Exacerbating this are songs where significant parts of the melody come at you through only one speaker channel. I think the intent is to have a sort of ‘underwater’ quality, but it feels at times more like standing in an ocean tide right at ear level, with the water rushing in and out over your eardrums.

The music definitely sets a mood, at least and kind of reminded me of Moby on that front, except instead of being relaxing, the mood is more consistently off-putting.  Why a band would put that much effort into making you feel uncomfortable is beyond me.  Guys, there are so many nicer moods to set. In other places they reminded me pleasantly of Beck, but without the funky riffs that make Beck so much more listenable.

Before I sum up I think a word is in order on the presentation of the CD.  “In Rainbows” was initially only released digitally (in 2007) and only months later could you buy a hard copy. For long time listeners like me (i.e. – older music guys) this was annoying, and felt like a combination of a slight on my chosen medium for music and a publicity stunt.

When it did come out in hard format, it came in a cardboard folder, with stickers that you could peel and stick to a jewel case for a more traditional look.  Something told me this would not look good, so I never peeled the stickers.  On the plus side, I  hope that means the album is worth more someday – maybe $5 instead of $3 as CDs make their way into the dustbin of dead technologies.

The liner notes print the lyrics (which I appreciate) but did them in a very weird full justification and various coloured fonts that combined make them hard to read.  Note to all bands; it is fine to get all artsy on the liner notes, but if you decide to print the lyrics, at least make them easy to read.

Like the liner notes, “In Rainbows” has a few tracks that reinforce my long-held frustration with the band’s later work; sacrificing the makings of good songs on the altar of cleverness. At least this time around some of the songs shine through from time to time, generating moments that are both creative and (shocker!) actually enjoyable to listen to.

I could have given this album three stars instead of two, but the truth is I am just tired of working so hard to like these guys.

Best tracks: Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, All I Need, Reckoner, Jigsaw Falling Into Place