Likewise on "Nude," there is a degree of familiarity there, yet the version here is a lot different than what I remember. It begins with a simple bassline, and one of those jazzy Jonny Greenwood guitar passages (think a slower version of Amnesiac's "Knives Out"). Again, Yorke's vocal here is at once haunting and gorgeous, as strings drift their way in and out of the minimally layered atmospherics.
What becomes most apparent on an initial listen is that In Rainbows is an album that doesn't just suggest, but absolutely demands repeated listenings because it is so densely layered.
There are the sort of beats here that characterized Radiohead albums like Kid A and Yorke's solo album, The Eraser. But there is so much more going on here than the minimal arrangements you hear the first time out. On the opening "15 Step," the beats almost seem to be eating their way through the song towards the end. But there's also more of those jazzy guitar lines, a lilting keyboard, and more layered effects than you can possibly take in all at once.
But not all is simply atmospherics here. On "Bodysnatchers," which was widely heard on the handful of shows Radiohead played last year — I was fortunate enough to see one of them in Berkeley — things get rocked up considerably. The track is anchored in the same sort of filthy-sounding bass heard on tracks like Kid A's "National Anthem." By the time Radiohead get around to touring again next year, I could see this as the set opener easily.
"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi," which I believe was simply called "Arpeggi" during those same shows last year, starts the same way many of these songs do. It seems to be almost a fragment of an idea that gathers intensity as the track moves forward. Yorke again sings in that beautifully detached voice of his — only this time he harmonizes with a doubled track of himself howling away in the background, finally building to a dramatic change in time signatures and a crescendo of sound at the end.
On "All I Need" Yorke's vocal plays against a dark, foreboding keyboard bass as he sings the lines "you are all I need" as an almost agonized sort of plea. And just like that, the dark minor chords are countered by lighter tones that sound almost like a xylophone. The contrasts and shades in this track are once again, simply stunning. On "Faust/Arp," one of this album's few — at least as far as I can tell — truly "new" songs, an acoustic guitar and strings back what appears to be more of a tone poem than anything else. I couldn't make out a lot of the lyrics here (where's that tangible jacket with a lyric sheet that I so miss?) — but here again, the sound alone provides the track with everything it needs.
Article comments
1 - Greeny
"But before I get to that, just one more thing about the format. I personally find it frustrating the way that once you unzip the download file, it breaks into ten tracks that have to be played seperately. Yeah, I know I'm eventually just going to burn a CD anyway. But for now, having to refresh my Windows Media Player to play each track while I try to write about the album is just plain annoying. Now that I've got that off my chest..."
Hmmm..? If I got right what your trying to say here, I'm really kind of shocked, kind of amused. There's no way what your saying could be true. No matter which ever music player you choose to use there is no way that you would be forced to listen in pieces. If the windows media player seem to be too complicated then get winamp or some other real audio player.
2 - danny
erm you can load all ten tracks in media player if you want. then it'll play them. in order. without all that pesky having to get up and turn the record over that used to blight our lives back in the days of vinyl... ;-)
3 - Mark Saleski
nice review glen. i haven't gotten to this yet, but i think i will.
(p.s. dude, windows media player? screw that! get winamp. seriously. that's what i use, and you know how much tolerance i have for quirky software (none!))
4 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
"it breaks into ten tracks that have to be played seperately."
Great stuff...*Smirk*
1.Select your favorite music files(ctrl+left-click or highlight with the "lasso").
2.Right-click any one of those files.
3.Choose "Add to my Now Playing list"
Voila.. Now you can have fond memories of that crackle & hiss(160kbps) without the worry of scratching your favorite vinyl.
Anyways, Good Review.
5 - Sumanto
Heh heh heh. Experienced reviewer, mp3 newbie. Playlist?
I wish Jammie Thomas had gotten in touch with you before the judgement.
6 - Nick
Really? You sit down and write a review of an album (a Radiohead album, no less) after listening to it twice? I wish I could have read that infromation before I gave any credence to the remainder of this review. Incredible.
7 - Glen Boyd
It's called a deadline Nick (albeit in this case a self-imposed one). Reviweers usually don't have the luxury of living with the release for a month or too before they write about it, because by then the public will have moved on.
As to the other comments, as you may have noticed I am somewhat of an "old school" type guy, as far as "techology" goes. Guilty as charged. But I'll get this whole computer business one of these days I suppose...
Thanx all for the comments.
-Glen
P.S. I do love the actual album.
8 - Tom Johnson
I feel pretty much the same way - a great album, and it grows on me with each listen the way a great album should.
As for Windows Media Player, just drag the 10 files into it and they'll all play the way you want them to. But, yeah, Winamp is probably the best choice, although I really don't have any problems with WMP.
9 - neil g
In time this album will become as recognised and celebrated as Dark Side of the Moon and Sgt. Peppers. Lonely Hearts Club Band.
With the release of In Rainbows RadioHead has published 10 tracks that are completely relevant to the world 21st century man has built for himself. The music immediately strikes the human soul and makes one recognise the intimacy with which we are involved with all that happens in and around us.
Just listen to this album, while you are working, on the train, at home with your family, alone in the dark, while running on the treadmill - it is so close to being, that it is like listening to something familiar that you heard while incubating in the womb, but at the same time you struggle to to hear what is being said and have to listen to it again. STUNNING TERRIFIC BEAUTIFUL EVOCATIVE!!!!
10 - Kara Boo
Is the album for Radiohead fans only?
11 - Glen Boyd
No Kara, it's for anyone who wants to download it. I recommend you do so immediately.
-Glen
12 - Paul Browne - People and Technology
Doing a quick survey on how much people paid for Radiohead in Rainbos. Current Survey results and prices paid are here.
BTW , I thought the album was good, but not great (compared to The Bends).
13 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
So far, this is the only Radiohead album I have enjoyed thoroughly.I definitely appreciate their translations of trip-hop,jazz,etc.. This is kinda like Beck's best song(ever) from the movie,"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and, for me, sits right up there with NIN's latest.