Anyone that has ever made a playlist or mixtape of 90s music probably put some Radiohead on it. I’m even willing to make a bet that the song included was either their classic, alternative anthem “Creep,” or possibly the equally quintessential track “Karma Police.” Well, if you haven’t (for some crazy reason) heard any of the band’s recent material or just haven’t been paying attention to alternative music in general, their newest record, King of Limbs, will sound like something from Mars (a la Charlie Sheen).
Out so recently that it’s not yet available in a format other than digital downloads, King of Limbs is the second album that Radiohead has released label-less. Like the band’s other works over the past decade, synthesizers and keyboards ÛÒ rather than guitars ÛÒ constitute the majority of the album’s substance and melody. This trend began with their critically acclaimed Kid A, continued through to 2007’s In Rainbows, and is again evident in King of Limbs.
The album opens in frantic fashion. “Bloom,” its leadoff track, is an arrangement of ethereal synthesizers and spastic drumming ÛÒ certainly a song that takes a few spins to get. This is just the nature of much of King of Limbs, though. You simply need to listen once or twice for the message to sink in. Another standout song is “Little By Little,” which features some heavily layered, melodious guitar-work: a nice change-up from the album’s predominantly electronic tracks.
With the exception of the moderately upbeat closing track “Separator,” this record follows a familiar structure used in the band’s past efforts: a highly constructed, strong beginning, eventually waning to more serious piano or acoustic guitar pieces, such as the somber but captivating song “Codex.” Like their other records, Thom Yorke ÛÒ who has at times been noted for being a bit egotistical ÛÒ has his own interesting moments, notably in the video for the album’s first single, “Lotus Flower,” where the singer performs a solo, five-minute interpretive dance. Aren’t there four other members in Radiohead?
While it is a generally solid album, there are some major downfalls to King of Limbs. First off, it’s only eight songs and approximately thirty-five minutes in length, leaving an almost empty feeling after listening to it in its entirety. It’s as if you blinked at the exact moment of the action and missed most of the show.
King of Limbs will probably not replace OK Computer on the highest shelf in the hearts of Radiohead maniacs. There are some great tracks, but others, like the lyric-less “Feral,” at times seem like incomplete song ideas expectant of more structure. After waiting four years since In Rainbows, one just might expect a bit more substance. Still, if you consider yourself a hardcore Radiohead-head or are a casual listener that enjoyed In Rainbows, King of Limbs should be an entertaining sensory experience and is worth your time and a buck-or-two to check out.
by Anthony DeLuise
Thom Yorke’s five-minute fit of monochromaticÛ_ self-expression(?):