THE KING OF LIMBS

Radiohead's "The King of Limbs" begins with an experimental piece 'Bloom', with very strange effects, looped disproportionate dynamics, weird sonic vibes and a fractured percussive signature. Yorke's vocals brings it together into a semblance of a song. His voice is as strained and laid back as ever, sounding rather melancholy or some may view it as depressed. The asymmetrical music is energetic and driving and wildly out of the box. It is alternative rock but with progressive edges. The brass sounds are very pleasant to the ear, echoing and multi layered, with an alarming friction that buzzes throughout. The looped keyboard effect is hypnotic, as is the fragmented almost irregular bassline. A wonderful start to the new Radiohead offering.

The inconsistent jagged guitar riff on 'Morning Mr Magpie' is a trance beat and once again Yorke overpowers with passionate vocals; "you stolen all, give it back, good morning Mr Magpie, how are we today?" The magpie known as a notorious thief in folklore is obviously an allegory for more serious themes such as kleptomania. The dark edges on the music are transfixing and reminiscent of the "OK Computer" days. The mixing on the album is exemplary, deep bass tones, a crystalline vocal and very powerful guitar sonics screaming over the soundscape. The band are really experimenting with vibrations and disconcerting spacey ambience.

Each track offers something unique and tends to grow on the listener over time. 'Little By Little' has a wonderful bassline, and some of Yorke's best vocals, using extreme high falsetto to perfection. The violin sounds grind over the main motif generating a powerful atmosphere.

'Feral' features another technical punching time sig, obviously processed with computer tech, and there is a psych prog feel. It is one of the weirdest song on the album due to its hypno rhtyhms and relaxed vocal approach.

'Lotus Flower' is a definitive track and already causing a stir among fans who are hailing it as one of Radiohead's all time greatest tracks. It certainly is easier to digest and has a great riff to lock onto. The music draws the listener in slowly and patiently till it hooks around your cerebral cortex and you cannot get it out of your system.

'Codex' is an ethereal piece with gentle dreamy piano and very moving vocals. It is slow and has a sad mood, but in comparison to the other techno industrial sounds heard earlier it stands out as the ballad.

'Give up the Ghost' is pure existential angst captured in Yorke's enigmatic performance and repetitive phrases. The music is almost symphonic but never easy to categorise. It goes on a bit too long for me but still has a distinct flavour.

'Separator' is another track that has become a favourite for the legion of fans. It has the broken imperfect time sig that is consistently inconsistent. The dreamy vocals float along the shifting metrical patterns. The music is almost subliminal apart from a pulsating bassline. The melody is actually quite beautiful but tinged with dark overtones.

To conclude, this is a very good release and worth listening to not just for Radiohead addicts but for the music connoisseur who prefer the alternative sound of Crossover prog. I would give it 4 stars if it were more consistent but the last few songs are not as good as the opening tracks. It seems to run out of steam and bogs down into very dreamy overkill.

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