IN RAINBOWS

A free album or an album where you choose the album price, which goes directly to the band? How cool is that? I wish the album would be a bit more revolutionary, but it's still a step in the right direction after the previous two albums. While not a masterpiece by any means, it is an adventurous album with great song structures, some nice atmospherics, and of course the Radiohead staple (if less present): the ability to make the most depressing music ever (remember Pyramid Song?).

In my opinion, the bookends of the album are the obvious highlights of the album. 15 Steps mixes an uptempo electronica beat under an odd time signature with jazzy guitar licks. The instrumental break creates phenomenal dissonant synthesizer atmospherics. To bring the album to a close, Radiohead made a wise decision: put a cinematic piano ballad that sounds completely bleak and void of any sort of hope. It has unusual drum patterns that may appear to be out of place, yet they are necessary for the piece.

Most of the material in this short album relies on mellowness. Nude is a beautiful laid-back composition with symphonic arrangements in wordless vocals and strings. All I need is a buildup to a Sigur Ros-influenced finale. Faust Arp is another song with strings that leaves a good impression. Some of the longer songs are a bit more complex, with Reckoner reminding me of Red Hot Chili Peppers a bit.

An exception to the mellow nature of the album is Bodysnatchers, but I can't help but feel that this song does not belong here. The distortion and the heaviness sounds artificial and I just can't get to it.

Nevertheless, not bad for a surprise album that might be considered a Radiohead Christmas gift if you don't wish to pay for it. Short and sweet, you might find yourself playing this album quite a few times.

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