Skip to main content

Alternative Rock: Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)

75 / 100
In Rainbows succeeds because it finally brings emotional clarity after years of Radiohead drifting deeper into electronic abstraction.
Reading the Wikipedia page for Radiohead’s seventh album immediately reminded me of a music mall born one year later—Bandcamp in 2008. The related fact mentioned is that In Rainbows was initially released independently and made available in digital form through their official website with a pay-what-you-want system. This resembles Bandcamp’s Name Your Price setup. It was a bold move from a band of Radiohead’s caliber at the time, although unsurprisingly, the major labels wouldn’t let such independence last.

In Rainbows continues the previous styles: alternative rock infused with electronic and experimental elements. “15 Steps” is one example. The opening track uses quintuplet meter and handclap rhythm in the drums, with a subtle echo of that feel also appearing in the album closer, “Videotape.” Meanwhile, “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” is like a more conventional version of the style and rhythm of “15 Steps,” which I naturally prefer.

Another striking point is “Reckoner,” where I initially thought the percussion was tambourine—but Wikipedia doesn’t mention it. Personally, I’m far more drawn to the emotional string strokes here than in “House of Cards.” Still, Yorke’s vocals in “House of Cards” are among the most haunting on the album. Then there’s the low, rough, thick piano tone on “All I Need.” When Yorke sings the chorus line, “You're all I need,” it makes me feel like the song is a cross between “Creep” and White Lion’s “All I Need.”

“Weird Fishes/Arpeggio” might be the best track here thanks to its indie-rock-leaning sound, with “Nude” being the mellow highlight earlier. “Faust Arp” acts as the album’s ballad, and if you want something energetic—perhaps the most energetic track—Radiohead offers “Bodysnatchers,” a mix of Wolfmother and Neu!, but also fitting for fans of Weezer or The Strokes.

Okay, that’s it for this review. There are still songs that hit the ear nicely, and I think this is better than Hail to the Thief.

Best tracks: Nude, Weird Fishes/Arpeggio, Reckoner, and Jigsaw Falling Into Place.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Terima kasih telah berkomentar. Usahakan untuk menjaga sopan santun.

Popular posts from this blog

Breakcore: Subheroine - End. (2025)

77 / 100 End. is Subheroine ’s most immersive and emotionally textured work yet ... Is being a week late enough to make a new release feel cold and stale? Maybe it’s the effect of our fast-paced modern world and the FOMO trend. Who knows. Whatever. Alright then, let’s welcome a new breakcore/drum & bass album (though it runs under 30 minutes) from Subheroine : End. ! End. by SUBHEROINE Released just on November 7 via Japan’s veteran breakcore label, Lost Frog Productions , End . delivers a noticeably more atmospheric vibe this time. So, tagging it as atmospheric drum & bass makes perfect sense, while the “depressive” tag seems to apply only to the cover art. But is that really the case? As always, there are surprises when reviewing music—those unexpected moments that make certain tracks sound more intriguing than expected. The most prominent depressive elements appear in the sampled voice of an anime girl sounding shocked or weakened in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Electronica/IDM: 4T Thieves - Humanoid (2018)

70 / 100 Humanoid is a compact and tastefully crafted slice of IDM-leaning electronica that blends futuristic elements without overwhelming the listener. I opened my December with an electronica release by 4T Thieves , an EP titled Humanoid , which came out back in February 2018. A brief profile and the project’s track record can be found on RYM or Last.fm , and it’s clear that this act has been active since the 90s, although only arriving on Bandcamp around 2018. Humanoid by 4T Thieves As the name suggests, Humanoid presents a modern environment tinged with a futuristic sci-fi atmosphere, supported by drum work leaning toward IDM and prominent synth/bass that paints the image of a future city gate on “ Elemental .” This is followed by “ Codex ,” which is given a special dose of classic IDM-style glitch effects , and the rest continues into “ The Looking Glass ,” which gives off a nighttime-shadow feel through its slightly dark synth melodies. “Band...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listening Notes: Playlist Clearance Vol. 1

If a store has a term called clearance sale, then I have a new agenda called playlist clearance . This agenda is meant to clean up releases sitting on my playlist shelves—sometimes for months—without any written listening notes. This matters a lot to me personally, since I prefer listening to music offline rather than streaming, even though platforms like Spotify also offer offline features. I’m already too used to downloading music, even if it means I’ll probably never really get into mainstream artists, which automatically reduces public attention. Hahaha… As for that issue, I do have my own alternative—but for now, I don’t yet have a map to avoid being overwhelmed and confused when diving into streaming platforms just to consume popular releases. Alright, back to cleaning up the playlist. What’s in here this time? Let’s take a look! Abraham – Débris de mondes perdus (2022) 73% Sometimes music can feel like a stab—or a cause of headache—like this fourth album from Sw...
Post a Comment
Read more