So, at six o'clock this morning I got the most pleasant email. This album is fantastic. It really, really is. On my ninth listen now.
Usually when people say things like "subtle complexity" I find its a cop-out, predominately used to excuse crappy offerings from the likes of Tool or NIN. HOWEVER, in this rare case, I think we can safely say this album is profoundly complex and rich while seeming almost stripped down at times.
There are entire worlds of sound here; Yorke manipulates his voice expertly, bending blue notes, yodeling, moving in and out of his haunting falsetto with ease. The blips and bloops, while still present, feel more integrated with the rest of the compositions; in focus without being overwhelming. The guitar work is awesome, everything from bareboned rock riffs to spacey arpeggiations to slippery, bendy chords. Colin Greenwood's bass is sturdy, full and drives the album from the word "go". The drums and drum machines make the album nearly danceable at times and Selway's style fills out the more ballady songs quite nicely.
Even in the spots where Radiohead usually lose me, the more glacial parts, I'm hooked on this one. I would be remiss to not mention the impact of Johnny Greenwood's string arrangements, and because my words will do little to justify how well they work I will just suggest you listen to "Faust Arp" and "Reckoner". What really gets me about this album though, is that it seems totally transparent; you can see the influence behind the work, making it very accessible.
Now I know the boo-bears are out there, ready to say things like "this isn't OK Computer". It isn't. But that doesn't mean it isn't one of the best albums released in the 10 years since we had our collective mind blown. In Rainbows is a fine addition to a body of work defined by earnest artisanship and innovation. I will now wait patiently to see what the tour plans look like, hopefully they throw us Yanks a bone this time 'round and spend some time about the states... |
