I had very mixed feelings when I learned that instead of receiving a new Radiohead record in 2006, the world would be given Thom Yorke’s solo debut. I was, being the Radiohead fan boy I am, quite disappointed that no (legal) new Radiohead songs would grace my iPod until 2007. But then there was kind of an eerie anticipation for Yorke’s solo record. What would it sound like? Would it be Radiohead? Electric? Acoustic? Some of my questions were answered in the many interviews that Yorke gave over the two months leading up to the release
The Eraser but some I had to wait for the answer until minutes after tearing open The Eraser’s shrink wrap coating (I didn’t want the first listen to be spoiled by leaks). Here are my impressions:
The Eraser is very much an electronic album. Taking the Kid A route, Thom trades Guitar, Bass and Drums for the bleeps, boops and clicks of his laptop and samples. The production (i.e. The Beats) is very minimalist, weak ( but not in a bad way) drum beats and short synth loops make up the many of the album’s beats, kind of like Aphex Twin, or even Southern Rap music (Crunk). Dipping in and out of these loops are cool (for lack of a better word) samples and such. Title track “The Eraser” makes perfect use of this. Staccato piano hits (played by Radiohead multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood) are looped over top a simple Drum Machine beat. Near the second verse strange synth arpeggios are thrown into the mix while backing vocals are thrown in the choruses to compromise with Yorke’s falsetto. Like I said before, the production on some songs almost sounds like the production of a Hip-Hop record, the beat on “The Clock” almost sounds like it is beat boxed. All in all, this style of production makes for a great listen, but can be a tad annoying at first listen.
Not all the production is minimalist Electronica though. Songs like “Black Swan” could easily be on a Radiohead album, and not just Kid A/Amnesiac. Black Swan specifically has all the makings of, well, a normal Alt Rock song. A simple yet weird guitar riff, a nice bass part and a drum beat that could almost pass of as being played on a regular guitar. Other songs while much denser, still hold an electronica feel, songs like “And It Rained All Night” take this format. Whatever the kind of beat, Thom certainly delivers on vocals. Whether it be singing the chilling backing vocals to “Skip Divided” or hitting high notes on Atoms for Peace, Thom’s vocals on The Eraser are up to par with his Radiohead vocals. In other words, the vocals are great. The Eraser is very much a vocal record. No longer can Yorke hide behind his band mates, the spotlight is on him. Even some of the effects on Thom’s voice are gone, making it sound more natural. If you’re not into Yorke’s voice with Radiohead then you certainly won’t like it on this album, plain and simple.
Despite good vocals and beats, the lyrics are where The Eraser truly shines. As proved with Radiohead time and time again, Thom Yorke doesn’t write happy lyrics. The lyrics on The Eraser aren’t an exception. Yorke’s dark metaphors are quite hard to decipher, so most of the time you can’t really tell what exactly he is singing about. In spite of this, the lyrics are fantastic. Examples follow:
Quote:
|
People get crushed like biscuit crumbs/And laid down in the bitumen/You have tried your best to please everyone/But it just isn't happening/No, it just isn't happening
|
From Black Swan (If you don’t know Bitumen is a road surfacing material).
Quote:
|
It comes to you begging you to stop/ Wake up/ But you just move your hands upon the clock/ Throw coins in the wishing well/For us/ You make believe that you are still in charge
|
From The Clock.
The Eraser certainly isn’t for everyone, as you may be able to tell. For starters it is a very electronic record. Second the album does get boring at times. Most songs don’t have much change in them at all, so you hear nearly the same music throughout the verses and choruses. And don’t expect anything on The Eraser to make you want to dance/sing along. To sum things up, for many listeners The Eraser will seam very different and slightly boring. If these qualities don’t bother you, or you can look past them, then The Eraser is a superb album.
4/5
-Dan
