Radiohead - In Rainbows
It is fitting for Radiohead’s status as the world’s most influential band that almost immediately they release their album in the manner they did than other less established bands start talking about “wanting to do a Radiohead”. Radiohead seem to be able to some up with ideas ahead of their time, and that is what essentially what they are about, ideas. They have never been afraid to pursue an idea that others may scoff at, or sacrifice commercial success for artistic integrity. It is that drive and sense of not caring about what people think of them that has led them to create this wonderfully delicate and beautiful record. While there are throwbacks to the sounds of old such as Bodysnatchers the most startling moments some when the band throw caution to the wind. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi is an achingly beautiful song that combines both intricate guitar work, string arrangements and electronica wonderfully and showcase what Radiohead are about these days.
Starting off with the fractured beats of 15 Step the album opens in somewhat misleading style. From this opening you may be forgiven for thinking you were in for something sounding more like Idioteque from Kid A. It isn’t a bad opening, more of a dummy pass for what is to come. Bodysnatchers is a return to Radiohead’s rockier roots, while not the straightforward kind of rock song, say, of The Bends era, it no less shows that they still know how to let the hair down. The album then settles down into its more natural groove, if you can call it that with Nude, more of a sounds cape, Thom Yorke’s vocals here are as haunting as anything you have heard him do before. The song sounds restrained and delicate, as if they were holding something that may fall to pieces at any moment, and gently put together.
The tone changes slightly for the dark and sombre All I Need with its creeping bass and may be as close to a love song that Thom Yorke will ever write. It is close in texture to Hail To The Thief but certainly does not feel out of place here. Faust Arp is another delicate song, an acoustic guitar accompanied by a string score and again feels as if it is being handled very gently. Reckoner swiftly follows and embodies what the album is all about, Thom Yorke’s falsetto vocals soaring over the percussion, guitar and piano. It feels as if they are drawing on influences from throughout their career and distilling them into an essence of what they, as a band are all about. The same can be said of House of Cards, which again sounds restrained while still reaching glorious heights.
Radiohead’s career progression may have made more sense if In Rainbows had come in between OK Computer and Kid A, but one feels as if they wouldn’t have been able to make this record then. While not their greatest achievement, this is still a great album and has to be taken in context to what they have produced before. It is probably the closest to what Radiohead would say is their sound and that ain’t half bad at all!
Radiohead - In Rainbows
2007
Producer: Nigel Godrich
Players:
Thom Yorke
Jonny Greenwood
Colin Greenwood
Philip Selway
Ed O’Brien
Tracklisting:
15 Step
Bodysnatchers
Nude
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
All I Need
Faust Arp
Reckoner
House Of Cards
Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Videotape