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Experimental/Alternative Rock: Radiohead - Amnesiac (2001)

74 / 100
A creative overflow and a restless continuation of Kid A’s experiments.

Apparently… apparently… Kid A has a sibling that was forced to be released as a separate album called Amnesiac. How close are the two in character? Let’s take a look at this fifth album, which came out in 2001.

At a glance, this album still follows the experimental path and even feels so unfamiliar that it hardly sounds like Radiohead. The electronic style with percussive beats appears in “Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box,” while “Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors” is wrapped in layers of noise. “I Might Be Wrong” heads in a funky direction. Another outlier is “Like Spinning Plates,” which sounds the darkest toward the end of the road, followed by the lull-like nighttime mood of “Morning Bell/Amnesiac.” This track is, of course, an alternative version of “Morning Bell,” but I’d choose this one—it carries a music box-like flow.

Oh, I almost forgot the exclusive jazz performance on “Life in a Glasshouse” with The Humphrey Lyttelton Band. A similar mood appears in “Knives Out,” with its signature drum strikes and dreamy guitar, so I can’t underestimate either of them. Next is the somewhat theatrical presentation with string arrangements and multiple layers of Thom’s vocals in “Dollars and Cents,” while “Pyramid Song” serves as a lighter version but carries equally strong emotion. Damn you, Radiohead! Why do you always fail to be thrown away without leaving a trace of guilt?!

Actually, “You and Whose Army?” also counts as a slow track, but after several listens, it still sits on the lower tier because Thom’s early singing feels a bit uncomfortable to the ear. As for the rough guitar instrumental, it’s not worth mentioning and can be skipped.

Okay, I’ve made my complaints clear above. Even with only five top contenders, Amnesiac still stands as proof of Radiohead’s abundant creativity and experimentation, three years in the making.

Best tracks: Pyramid Song, Knives Out, Morning Bell/Amnesiac, Dollars and Cents, Life in A Glasshouse.
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