In Rainbows

I don’t think I’ve ever done the amateur music critic thing on this blog before, but it’s been forever since I posted, and I was writing up my thoughts anyway. Thus, I present my stream-of-consciousness review Radiohead’s newest, In Rainbows.

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"15 Steps": Oh cool, this is in 5. Or maybe 15. Mm, tasty rhythm. Actually, one of the things that I noted the first time through was how tight the rhythms are on the whole album. Well done, technically.

"Bodysnatchers": The riff that opens this one up is most excellent. Some of the synth stuff in the middle sounds like background that was used in "The National Anthem." This is possible, right? Radiohead have been known to reuse bits from previous works, right?

This is all significantly better on headphones than on my cheapo spekers. Man, I need a real stereo. ::attempts to Glean::

"Nude": Every layer that comes in on this just makes me smile. Mellow bass. Thom Yorke feather-voice. Easy chill guitar line. Orchestral mountains in the distance.
The music plus the title makes me think of bed-ins for peace.

"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi": Sounds oceanic and benthic in the same way that "Subterranean Homesick Alien" sounded cavernous and chthonic. Good evocative sound painting without being overly literal. The exact opposite of this would be if Radiohead had for some bizarre reason decided to include bubble sounds effects on this song.

"All I Need": Some eerie dissonance between the lyrics and the music here. Just listening to the words, you get the sense of a song of devotion, albeit a devotion bordering on co-dependent and pitiful. But the music contains shadows of menace that change the whole package. I appreciate musical irony.

"Faust Arp": When Thom counts this one off, I immediately think of "Little Yellow Spider" by Devendra Banhart. Of course, Radiohead doing a song like that would be about the most humorous and improbable thing to hit music in recent memory. As it is, I award points to the acoustic guitar work, the string section, and the driving syncopation under the more lyrically dense parts. If anything, this song is too short for me; I want to hear it develop further.

"Reckoner": Here I had to look up the lyrics. I am not sure what they mean. This song makes me think of the Grim Reaper, not as an image of terror, but as a kind old man with a gentle smile coming to bring peace to a tired soul.

“House of Cards”: A curious juxtaposition of mellow, relaxing, spacious chords and words about “denial” and “infrastructure will collapse.” Musical irony similar to “All I Need.”

“Jigsaw Falling into Place”: Another example of captivating, well-crafted rhythms, right from the first second. And more acoustic guitar. Is it just me, or does this album have way more acoustic guitar than anything since The Bends?

At about three minutes in, I start thinking of this song as some alternate universe version of “Hotel California.” Man, my brain is weird.

“Videotape”: This one actually grabbed me the most from my first listen. I suspect it is the lonesome piano combined with Thom Yorke singing about personal salvation. It’s a strangely comforting song, despite not being overtly optimistic. Another instance of that peaceful, resolved feeling.
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A number of people have noted that the MP3 download album did not come with art. Someone made their own.