Still processing the news of a Radiohead release, critics were eager to mindlessly spew praise over the album while it was still in its infancy, with most articles churned out within the first 24 hours of its release. But with the New Year’s release of the CD version of “In Rainbows,” the group’s seventh full-length, it is relevant to offer criticism of the disc in terms of retrospection. After all, judging the newest album against the staggeringly accomplished canon of Radiohead’s earlier work should not be a hasty task.
To start off, yes, the disc is brilliant. Jarringly different in tone from the group’s genre-hopping past, “Rainbows” stands among the truest album Radiohead has delivered since 2000’s electronic-heavy “Kid A.” Unlike the genre experiments flawlessly tossed off from the band’s previous two records, the songs on “Rainbows” melt comfortably into one another, primarily bound by a gentle groove which develops the group’s oft-soulful chops. Tracks like the gorgeous “Reckoner” blend elements tried and true (Thom Yorke’s falsetto, an infectious guitar line and swelling strings), piling them on a percussive-heavy backdrop, popping the track from a ballad to a smooth jam.
In terms of instrumentation, “Rainbows’” showcases Radiohead at its rawest, where a crack band lets its perfectionist guards down. Innovation is not as primary a focus as songwriting, leaving tracks such as the lush acoustic guitar ballad “Faust Arp” to rest on its naked simplicity.
This is not to say that a user-friendly Radiohead fails to thrill. Opener “15 Step” makes the best use of 5/4 time this side of Pink Floyd, and tracks such as distortion-heavy “Bodysnatchers” and the driving “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” would fit comfortably on 2003’s “Hail To The Thief.”
Predictably, “In Rainbows” is not the group’s most shining masterpiece. As with most albums of the past 20 years, it is not as thematically prodigal as the group’s 1997 masterpiece “OK Computer.” Also, it is hard not to wax nostalgic for guitarist Johnny Greenwood’s shredding, which makes only the rare cameo appearance. Instead, the stars of this album are the band and its tight songwriting, leaving little room for complaints on musicianship. “In Rainbows” is the sound of a band becoming more comfortable than ever in its own skin, and the listener is privileged to hear the results.
Bill Earl is back at school in Ithaca, NY, where he’s writing a blog for “The Ithacan” called Sharp Notes. Check it out at http://theithacan.org/blogs/sharpnotes.