MOG

Radiohead, In Rainbows

7 out of 10

It was a Friday night in March when we first met. I was a senior in a Los Angeles high school and irresponsibly was high on my priority list. At seven that evening, after an intense study session, my best friend at the time and I decided to shotgun a road-trip to Santa Cruz in northern California. This tidal wave of spontaneity conveniently crashed over us the day after I had received my driver license and brand new car.

As we geared for what we thought would be an easy, breezy three hours drive up the interstate, I carelessly added OK Computer to the pile of CDs aptly named "super-sweet road-trip mixz." We formally met about two hours and four Red Bulls into what turned out to be an insane seven-hour drive through the rain. I had purchased OK Computer long before that perilous trip, but failed to grasp it, partially due to age. But there I was a blossoming young woman of 17, with a voracious appetite for fun and adventure, totally digging on OK Computer.

Fast- forward to that summer, and I find myself on another mini-road trip to San Diego where I'm rushing the stage because I hear the opening chords to "Airbag" resonating in the open air venue.

Even though my relationship with Radiohead has been relatively brief thus far, it has certainly been intense. For the past five years, their albums have been the soundtrack to life. They have seen everything from birthdays, to first kisses, to meltdowns. They even taught me that friends may come and go, but good albums last a lifetime. Whether it’sthe dark, haunting sounds of Amnesiac, or the organic refrains of The Bends, each album is tagged with its own fair share of memories.

Recently, I was in a friend's room listening to In Rainbows when he mentioned that "All I Need" was one of his favorite songs. As Thom Yorke's faint voice set in, I couldn't help feeling a little violated by the fact that my friend and I listened to that same song. It was my song. I had attached my own set of feelings and associations to that song and here was someone else who had completely different experiences associated with that very same song – MY SONG.

I wondered how two people could interpret the very same song two very different ways. Then I realized that that's the beauty of good music and, specifically, the music of Radiohead. It has ability to transcend differences and ultimately bring people together. Radiohead ignites a catharsis in listeners allowing them to feel the emotion and ultimately embrace the lyrics as their own. Who doesn't get goose bumps from the climax of "Let Down" or feel like they need a hug after "Motion Picture Soundtrack"?

Although you may disagree, I believe that you already own your best Radiohead albums. It should also be known that I'm part of the 90% of fans that will eat up anything they put out including the $80 In Rainbows box set. Officially released on January first, the box set features In Rainbows on vinyl, two discs, and a 10 page booklet that resembles a psychedelic Rorschach inkblot test.

Though the album seems spur-of-the-moment and the lyrics haphazard, it certainly provides some insight into Thom Yorke's psyche. The message is pretty clear: Radiohead has settled down, and it's reflected in the lack of urgency in a majority of the songs.

The songs are split up on two discs with ten on the first and eight on the second. There is a definite shift between obtuse and emotionally charged lyrics; the songs on the second disc are notably darker than those on the first. Songs like "Last Flowers to the Hospital," "Four Minute Warning" and "Nude" seem to allude to Radiohead sounds of past albums while more experimental tracks such as "Reckoner" and "Down is the New Up" brace us for things to come. All in all, I’m torn between feelings of appreciation and expectation for In Rainbows. I don't know that I would pick it over other albums to play on my next road-trip: I feel as though I would passively listen to it rather than actively participate in it. Radiohead has been dubbed many different things including innovative, genius, and one-of-a-kind; I'm not sure if I want "atmospheric" to be one of them.

In Rainbows is great for a number of tracks but it’s not Radiohead’s best by far. That's unfortunate because Radiohead is one of those bands you want a plateau from every time they release a new album. A friend and fellow fan said it's as though the band knows that just putting songs on an album is not acceptable anymore: they've already reached their peak and they go into the recording process knowing that grim fact. In a poetic sense, the bell has stopped tolling as loudly as it once did. Conversely though, I feel that the band knows they've earned their right to experiment and try new things: a fact that is certainly reflected on this album. So lets get down to the brass tacks here: what's in it for you. If not for anything else, the track "Nude" should be enough reason to buy the album. It's four minutes and fifteen seconds of Radiohead in all their glory. The ever so slight melodies let Thom's hauntingly beautiful voice take center stage. As the bass slowly creeps up on you in the beginning, followed perfectly by faint drums, and a guitar lick that's akin to Hail to the Thief's "Wolf at the Door," you'll remember why you fell in love with Radiohead in the first place.

At the other end of the spectrum, I love the paradoxical effect of "Reckoner." There's something deliciously industrial about this song as the drums and shakers create a beat of their own that reminds me of a trash can lid being played in a dark alley. "Last Flowers to the Hospital" on the second disc is the most poignantly melancholy song I have come across since "Bulletproof...I Wish I was" or "The Tourist." I felt the need to crawl under the covers after listening to it. Closely following in the steps "Last Flowers" is "Four Minute Warning." What seems like 30 seconds of noise in the beginning is capped off by a steady drum that drives this unwavering warning home. As the piano seamlessly weaves in and out of the eerie harmonies, you make a mental note to take heed of whatever it is that Thom Yorke is warning us about.

If you asked me if the album is worth $80, I would ask you if you are a Radiohead fan. If so, then why hesitate? This isn’t the group’s best work. In Rainbows didn’t demand that I listen to it although I willingly acquiesced anyway. The album doesn’t have a central theme – unlike previous albums – and many songs seem reminiscent of tracks from past albums while others veer off the beaten path. I haven’t pumped my fist in the air as I did during the pinnacle of teenage angst saying "Hey man! I'm a creep too!" but I still find the album brilliant. And even if it’s not their best work, it’s still really something. After all, it's Radiohead.

Posted on 01/07/2008