Radiohead Returns With 'In Rainbows'

by Drew Hudson
2.15.08

After 15 years of releases, and years of critical acclaim and abuse, Radiohead released their newest album, “In Rainbows.” While the album had originally been released in October through their Web site in a name-your-own-price way of purchasing, the band opted to release it as a hardcopy album a few months later on Jan. 1. Upon its release the album hit No. 1 on the charts, and with good reason.

The album is unlike any other Radiohead work. It captures the melancholy, yet sublime attitude from albums like “Kid A” (2000) or “OK Computer” (1997), and manages to add its own upbeat feel for tracks like “15 Step” and “Bodysnatchers.” With an extremely experimental rock-infused attitude, Radiohead has definitely moved forward from their previous albums.

As the album continues, tracks like “Nude” and “All I Need” create the perfect environment to finish up your English reading or just mellow out. With their other albums, either the lyrics seem to tell a story, or the music is perfect in harmony and art, but with “In Rainbows,” the lyrics and the music melt together into a perfect stream of musical bliss.

The album wraps up with catchier, pop-drenched tunes like “Reckoner” and “Jigsaw Falling Into Place.” With the final song, “Videotape,” the listener is left with a sense of finality, like the album is a sculpture with substance and beauty and life.

While the minimalist-esque musicianship of Radiohead is sometimes not enough, the band makes up for it with the lyrics and their willingness to branch out into new territory as they mature.

image from radiohead.com