In Rainbows review - Radiohead

Review of the new Radiohead album In Rainbows. This is written by our newest addition to the Tobloggle line up, Paul Hodges. I have yet to buy the album, but on the strength of this review I will be.

Things you never thought you’d say #1: “You could dance to the new Radiohead album in the Job Centre wearing a only a condom encrusted with the spittle of a dying relative and you’d still be smiling…”

I was skeptical as to whether I would really like this album at first. I was excited as OK Computer is still my favorite album – one I literally never tire of hearing – but after what I felt were less potent Radiohead releases of late I only paid £2.00 thinking that’s roughly what it would be worth to me. Since then it hasn’t stopped coming out of my earphones once, which is both exceptional value for money and a testament to how good ‘In Rainbows’ really is. So good I will also buy the box-set for £40.00 as some of these songs would sound better on vinyl anyway methinks. Speaking of which:

“15 Step” - Uh-oh, it’s going to be good not great was my initial thought but then it grows minute upon minute like Ebola in a chimps balls. The beat is reminiscent of the Flaming Lips which is never a bad thing eh. Sets the stall out but doesn’t display all the cheeses if you get me.

“Bodysnatchers” - Has the alien-like wail from some of the Kid A songs which sounds incongruous as this rocks the fabled ‘phat-one’. I re-played this song over-and-over walking along the street whilst moronically smiling at strangers. Imagine the feeling you’d have stepping off of an eight hour bus ride, during which you shared 20 cans of Strongbow with Paul Daniels who just wouldn’t stop talking about “how Debbie’s changed” and crying. It felt that good.

Disclaimer: Although she is almost certainly dying slowly (as are we all) Debbie may not have changed, that is unless she was sent here by a race of immortals to demonstrate the ability of fitting into things which initially appear too small whilst bald men saw and later shag you.

“Nude” - s-l-o-w and l-o-w, wooshy even (Word doesn’t like that word but its WOOSHY which is English for wooshy). It won’t change your life but it may make moments appear softer not unlike a moment pillow.

“Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” - A deceptively slow start featuring harps and fish lyrics should have you reaching for ‘FWD>>’, do wait though as it builds into a break-beat frenzy with early REM style harmonies and layers of industrial synths. I don’t know what a weird fish is exactly, I guess flipper was odd given his attraction to young boys but he was mammalian.

“All I Need” - A piano crescendo that will make the hairs on your nipples peel toward the ceiling without hesitation.

“Faust Arp” - My favorite lyrics on the album set to a gentle picked guitars. I think Faust is German for fridge magnet.

“Reckoner” - Seriously meaty beat, like DJ Shadow humming his Entroducing album whilst Radiohead’s guitars bake him a Fray Bentos pie. Thom’s voice sounds [insert best thing you know of] and STRINGS! Everywhere where strings should go (should strings be applied).

“House of Cards” - Like audio Rohypnol : gentle guitars lull the listener into a dream-state while Thom cooes to the listener “I don’t wanna be your friend, I just wanna be your lover…”. Whether he physically violates is inconsequential; the effect is ultimately divine and it would make excellent background music whilst making love to a distant relative at a wedding.

“Jigsaw Falling Into Place” - Awesome acoustic riff > jazzy beat > deep bass > backing voice of an male angel (not ‘Lucifer’) > THOM! He’s feeling sexy again from what I can discern and is annoyed his lover/victim is partaking in substance abuse to the point of unconsciousness > riff is back > THOM! He’s coming-up too now and empathises with the listener until the point we (presumably) return to his castle to stroke things and grin. Evokes elderly people motoring through Paris on Segways resigned to the fact their batteries will soon expire.

“Videotape” - Mournful piano-based piece about the heady VHS Vs. Beatmax battle of the 80s, superseded by the Blu-Ray Vs. HD fight ‘raging’ in Dixons as we speak. It’s a good song but ends the album like a tea-total colleague at a office party: quietly and alone.

In Rainbows ranks 8.3-outa-10 amongst Radiohead’s past work (in my humble opinion): Pablo (7), Bends (8), OK Computer (9.5), Kid A (7), Amnesiac (6), Hail (7).

To para-phrase Jesus: “In Rainbows shears only the shiniest wool from the aforementioned long-playing lambs and knits the warmest, most colorful musical mittens I’ve worn for many a frosty morn. Hail to the chiefs.”

You can buy the album from Radioheads new site inrainbows.com for a much or as little as you would like. The Box Set can also be purchased from there.

Samples

All I need

Weird Fish

Buy Classic Radiohead

Tags: album-review

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 7th, 2008 at 6:54 pm and is filed under Other music articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.