Review Summary: The best Radiohead album so far
Kid A is quite a departure from OK Computer, Radiohead's previous studio effort.The reason is, it boasts a lot more experimentation and a different, more cerebral mood and atmosphere . You can sense it right from the first track with its ominous piano introduction that leaves such a ‘cold’ feeling on the listener, and when the effects come in, it becomes something else entirely. And the song is not all atmosphere and no melody, either. The vocals are extremely intoxicating and restrained at the same time, as well. After Everything In Its Right Place follows Kid A which displays excellent electronic drumming that serves as a background for more ‘snowy’ piano lines and superbly edited vocals. A brilliant track, that goes to show how electronic instruments can give a song a truly exciting edge. The National Anthem comes next with some sensational drumming, but this time from what I can tell it’s real drums. The bass line is extremely well written and is tied with the beat in perfect fashion. And after the middle Thom starts screaming and effects make their way in along with horns that result in a mesmerizing climax. The horn soloing is reaching a high point near the end, when it is accompanied by Yorke’s shrieks. Great fusion of jazz and electronic, I say.
How To Disappear Completely is an acoustic ballad in the more ‘traditional’ vein, only this time it is filled with first-rate effects that alter in dynamics with ease. And Thom’s voice is at its best here alternating falsetto and regular singing comfortably. Treefingers is further emphasizing the electronic aspects of the album, and it is haunting, really. An ambient track, it lulls you into its own world and you wish you could stay there for ever. And at three minutes, there is no sign of overstaying its welcome. Optimistic benefits from a particularly intriguing and crisp guitar tone and from Thom Yorke’s intense vocals. Near the end, the drums are suddenly ‘awakened’ and serve as a steady background for the guitar lines. And the song changes one more in the very end of the song, becoming faster and more upbeat.
In Limbo has some refreshingly inventive guitar finger-picking in a abnormal tempo that provides the song’s basis. The guitar licks that appear at one point are well-written, too. Finally, the song ‘drowns’ into a sea of effects to make room for Idioteque which has the best electronic drum beat on the album and is coupled with exciting effects and masterful vocal harmonies that give the song a superb flavor. And it isn’t overlong, which is quite impressive since it runs for five minutes. Excellent! Morning Bell, segued with Idioteque, begins with an interesting drum pattern and features the cold and snowy piano touches of the first songs. Together with the well-thought falsetto of the vocals and and the gradual take over of effects, it is a shattering listen. Suddenly, the song does a little break by increasing the volume and fluently dives back to the previous beat. Thom’s ‘mumbling’ in the middle make room for the second outbreak that lasts a little longer this time and the track finishes with some ‘dying’ piano lines.
Now, the final track, Motion Picture Soundtrack has more ambient experimenting and clever arrangement with some astral harp (is it a harp?) playing and in the middle it just stops abruptly. When I heard it for the first time I thought the disc was over, but I was wrong. After some twenty seconds or so, the ambient part resurrects for a brief crescento and then fades out again, leading to nearly two minutes of nothing but silence.
Highlights of the album include, well, everything except Motion Picture Soundtrack,which is great for the first three minutes, but the rest of the song is really unfocused. That’s because the first time the sound stops and we are treated with silence, it is an unexpected trick. But after the last fade out, there is no reason to continue the silence for two minutes. What’s the point? Anyway,the album is still such a shattering listen, better than OK Computer in my opinion, because despite the similar mood of the songs(there’s even less diversity than on OK Computer), Radiohead managed to make an album that flows perfectly without embracing the ‘rules’ of a ‘traditional’ listening experience, because every single song is so interesting in its arrangements and songwriting, that you can’t but be attracted to its charm.
