Make sure to download the newest episode of the pmaCAST: Looking Better, Shining Brighter Than You Do, featuring Four Tet, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The xx, Yeasayer, Department of Eagles, Hot Chip and more.
From the energizing opener to the calming closer, In Rainbows follows a series of ups and downs that seem to span the entire career of Radiohead. I love the diversity of material here, but even more the way that it’s all brought together with the same mindset. Despite its diversity, it remains pointed and sharp, and definitely makes a solid stance as an overall album. I was afraid that it would sound too stale and regurgitated, but each song has such a fresh spin that the album verily exceeds my expectations.
A couple highlights for me include the lovely, scintillating end to Nude [mp3] which gives me a bit of the chills each time. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi [mp3] is crafted very well, and Radiohead make it easy to ride along on the rhythm of the arpeggios. I’m also a fan of how the arpeggios are reprised later near the end of Jigsaw Falling Into Place [mp3]. It makes me wonder if there are any other reoccurring themes. My last highlight is Faust Arp [mp3], which is just complete ear candy. Very simple, almost minimalist, but the acoustic guitar work, the pacing and the progression of chords alike, is brilliant and reminds me of stripped down versions from Thom Yorke’s The Eraser, which he has played live.
The one disappointment I experienced is the way Radiohead subdued Reckoner from a heavy, aggressive beast into a more subtle experience. I appreciate the new version as much as the old, but I was really looking forward to the way they’d handle the heavier version in the studio. Ah well, there are always the concert tapes.
I’ll certainly be listening to this for some time to come.
90%
-Written by: Libatte
Tags: Radiohead
I am loving In Rainbows
Its cool so far, breaking what every one thought they would do yet again, very simplistic musically… i have always wanted another fake plastic trees and have always known i wont get it… i paid two pounds fifty for it. I love ‘all i need’ the most so far on first listen.
Holy shit, 15 step sounds awesome. They better not screw up “Big Ideas (Don’t Get Any)” (yeah, yeah, Nude, whatever)
my ears are very very pleased.
Incredible. Radiohead is taking us to our salvation.
This album resparks my interest in Radiohead. I haven’t been a fan since Ok Computer, but now I’m tempted to get all of the post OK’s just to see if I’d like em. I downloaded it from OINK. My email never came!
it’s a nice listen and all, but i doubt i’ll have any desire to hear it again once a few days pass. GOOD THING I GOT IT FOR FREE.
it seems that the Rapidshare, et al. links are being pulled down rather fast though
I payed zero nothing nada for the album. Sounds like Radiohead. But 160 kbps, that’s not good enough. They are actually forcing us to buy the cd, when it comes out.
Definitely more OK Computer than Kid A, the thing is still painfully gorgeous. They’re exploring new territory as always, but the great thing about Radiohead is how well they incorporate their vast and often intentionally esoteric and obscure influences into what they already do. No matter how hard they try not to, they always sound like Radiohead. And that sound is pretty god damn beautiful.
I’m sure there are poignant, contemporary themes and deep, insightful lyrics in this record, but like with OK Computer, it’s first and foremost about the melodies. These songs just SOUND wonderful, they connect with the listener by virtue of their composition and delivery. What Thom Yorke is actually singing about, while worth looking at closely in its own right, is not integral to enjoying the songs.
This is the band in top form, as usual. Our expectations of them are obscenely high and yet they manage to surpass them at every turn, to our surprise and delight. They’re truly the best band since The Beatles (not to draw comparisons).
I paid 1 pound (so, $2.03) for the download, but I’m getting the discbox. It’s fucking Radiohead, man: you’ve got to shell out.
Why would you ever get it from Rapidshare? I just don’t understand people. Just get it from the band themselves. At least they can know how many people did it. I desperately want this experiment to work. I feel like what they are doing–making their music available to everybody with a computer–is so empowering. The average band can give their stuff away for free, but nobody would care. To have a big band do it: well, that’s something. And I take no small amount of delight in the subversion of the traditional promo CD philosophy, and not just for the astounding environmental implications.
anyone in love with the drums on these tracks? god dam! jigsaw!
I got mine off rapidshare because the actual download from Radiohead was stuck. Damn their fans!
Hate to bring up the negatives, as I am liking what I’m hearing, but Videotape was my most anticipated track and they ruined it with this bullshit falling percussion that gets in the way of the piano. Looks like I’ll have to see them live to hear the proper non-fucked with version.
If the process of getting the album on the first day was anything, it was technically flawed because of what an immense undertaking it was to get deliver that many copies from 10 servers (10 years, released on 10th with 10 days notice on 10 servers etc.).
I listened to it all night long and didnt get to bed until 4am.
I really enjoyed it from start to finish.
best. album. ever
I paid nothing (only ’cause I have no credit card) but I’m definitely picking up the CD when it’s out.
Absolutely awesome album. The only downer for me was the echoey vocals on House of Cards. Would have been better without that effect.
didn’t drop a dime. my bank account doesn’t have anything in it till friday! i plan to re purchase with another email address then.
nude is so good. also liking faust arp
Honestly as much as I love Radiohead (I did buy the diskbox for christ’s sake) I don’t see how this, or NIN giving their albums away on the net is going to change anything. You’re still going to have record labels because crap bands like Nickelback, and Avril are still going to go by the old model because they want to be super rich, and they want that “safety” of a major label. This is a cool thing to do, and cheers to Radiohead for doing it, but this isn’t going to change anything as long as we still have “musicians” who buy into the “we need a label to put out our music and tell us what to do” method of being a rock star.
I love the new album. Definitely on the O.K. Computer and Kid A level. When I listened to Videotape for the first time, I wanted to cry. It’s just so beautiful. I paid for the complete set and cannot wait to hear it on vinyl.
At a little over halfway through, I’m quite impressed. I’ll have to give it a couple of more listens before I pronounce it their best album since OK Computer.
so glad thom let ed do the howls on “arpeggi”. spine-tingling.
I bought the Discbox, and this was awesome. I’m so glad that I purchased the box up front, because it will be well worth it to have a physical copy. Another great album.