Radiohead - In Rainbows

Here is my long overdue analysis of Radiohead's latest studio effort.

Videotape:
Naturally I’ll gravitate more to the songs which feature a piano, I find it adds a certain level of class to a song. The problem with Videotape is that it doesn’t consist of very many layers of music- you have the piano, the percussion, and Thom. Although I will admit that it does serve as an excellent platform from Thom to sing, ultimately its simplicity is its downfall. It falls very short as a Radiohead closer, definitely the worst of that group.

Jigsaw Falling into Place:
Love the intro- especially after the soothing goodness of House of Cards. As this album enters its twilight the pacing is a little unexpected. The lyrics seem pretty dark themed, at least from the scattered bits I’m catching. Something about a Cheshire cat grin and walls swallowing people. I guess this is the song you would need to drugged out to really get. You’ll have to tell me about this one Scooter.

House of Cards:
Probably my favorite of the bunch- this is unique. It’s a Radiohead song that isn’t trying so hard to blow your mind, definitely coming across as more natural. As Johnny strums guitar it creates a warm foundation for the vocals. Thom sounds like he’s singing from the deep recesses of a cave. The echoing compliments quite nicely, especially working with the beat and guitar. Feels like Thom and a couple of ghosts are singing me a lullaby.

Reckoner:
This is sonic perfection, all while keeping with the orchestra theme. It combines all the subtleties of Radiohead which make them unique, Phil’s consistent beat, Thom’s howling, uncanny lyrics, and most importantly traditional song structure. Far and away the reason to own this album- after it’s all done I feel nothing but cleansed and refreshed afterwards.

Faust Arp:
Thom’s voice is very nice when layered against the cello and the string instruments. It comes across as an orchestra of gibberish at times, making me wonder what he’s trying to say to me. Nevertheless, it is quite beautiful and doesn’t have to make any sense- one of the inherent beauties of listening to Radiohead.

All I Need:
It is my belief that “All I Need” suffers from a slow beginning that seems like it would fit better toward album end. Nevertheless, the music progresses enough to wake anyone who may have dozed off. Lyrically Thom doesn’t sound very different from the previous two tracks, which I believe is a negative. The piano joining the crescendo is very welcome, hopefully appearing more throughout the album.

Weird Fishes/Arpeggi:
The song structure feels a little bit awkward here, but it’s Radiohead so I’ll assume it was all purely intentional. Beyond Thom repeating “Weird FISHES” mid-track and the percussion explosion at the end, it seems much uninspired- or maybe I’m just clearly missing the point this morning. In fact, it’s very hard to draw any conclusions about this song. Thom claims “I’ve been eaten by the world” or did he say “the worms...” I’m lost.

Nude:
This sounds a lot like a Mercury Rev song, that is until you hear Thom reminding you it is definitely Radiohead. It’s wrapped in sadness, lines like “so don’t get any big ideas, they’re not gonna happen….” while the music swells drive that point home. This is one of those introspective songs you listen to after a breakup late at night, when you’re taking yourself entirely too seriously.

Bodysnatchers:
This song features all the elements of classic Radiohead- Bends guitar, OKC synth, and Kid A lyrics. Almost as if Thom is introducing you to a Subterranean Homesick Alien, at least in the imagery it successfully creates. The distortion is turned up to max, easy to bob your head to, but not mainstream enough for the Radiohead hardcore to hate it.

15 Step:
Abrasive beats, tempered down by a calming guitar. Interesting enough lyrically, especially when catch fragments of the lyrics. At first reaction I felt the banshee howling mid-track was a little over the top, but as the climax builds it seems to work well with the softly spooky atmosphere.