New Radiohead...?!?

[Josh]

WTF?

ALREADY?

[NinjaRob17]

Well, that's unexpected. Awesome, but unexpected.

[murlough23]

Awesome. I guess when you call your own shots, you can crank out new records as often as you have time to.

Nice to see them giving Elbow some props, too. Truth be told, I like The Seldom Seen Kid even more than In Rainbows.

[spacebrat311]

I'm skeptical. I hope needlessly so, but I can't afford to get my hopes up if I'm just being toyed with.

[bloop]

I definitely wouldn't put The Seldom Seen Kid atop In Rainbows (although I don't have to make that choice), but I always like it when the band reminds people that they are music fans, too (and that they have taste, obviously).

[Ian]

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

And the nice thing about this is that, to my knowledge, they haven't been playing new songs, so I won't be able to spoil them with youtube vids.  I'd already heard the majority of In Rainbows live before it came out, and was disappointed by a couple of the studiio renditions.

[bloop]

I, too, heard much of In Rainbows live before it came out, but I had just the opposite reaction.  It took me only a little while to get used to the studio cuts, and I regard them as definitive versions of the same songs.

[spacebrat311]

The only early live cut i still prefer to its In Rainbows incarnation is Jigsaw Falling Into Place back when it was still Open Pick.

[murlough23]

I definitely wouldn't put The Seldom Seen Kid atop In Rainbows (although I don't have to make that choice), but I always like it when the band reminds people that they are music fans, too (and that they have taste, obviously).

Well, either way, I don't mind Elbow being an influence.

NP: "Broken Lungs", Thrice

[Ian]

Arpeggi, Videotape, and Up on the Ladder were the only ones I was disappointed with, and of those Videotape was the only big one.

But anyways, I wonder how long it'll take them to get this out.  I'm hoping for a February release.

[murlough23]

My difficulty with In Rainbows is that it blows its wad in the first half as far as its strongest songs go. The first five are all pretty much awesome; the last 5 range from good to meh (though "Videotape" has grown on me, so now it's "House of Cards" and "Reckoner" that drag). Thus far OK Computer is still their only album where pretty much every track is consistently enjoyable for me (yes, even "Fitter Happier", which is often derided by Radiohead fans).

[spacebrat311]

My difficulty with In Rainbows is that it blows its wad in the first half as far as its strongest songs go. The first five are all pretty much awesome; the last 5 range from good to meh (though "Videotape" has grown on me, so now it's "House of Cards" and "Reckoner" that drag). Thus far OK Computer is still their only album where pretty much every track is consistently enjoyable for me (yes, even "Fitter Happier", which is often derided by Radiohead fans).

I'll agree that Reckoner drags, but other than Reckoner, I don't see a major quality difference between halves of the album. House of Cards may be my favorite track on the whole album, lyrically.

[murlough23]

I'll agree that Reckoner drags, but other than Reckoner, I don't see a major quality difference between halves of the album. House of Cards may be my favorite track on the whole album, lyrically.

"Faust Arp" is decent, but it doesn't feel like a completed thought. I don't like the lyrics to "House of Cards" even if you consider them aside from the music. And "Jigsaw Falling into Place"... I don't know, I can't pinpoint anything wrong with it, but to me, that song's just "there". It doesn't stand out much. Probably because whatever they're doing there, they did it better on "Weird Fishes".

NP: "Wind Off the Lake", Iona

[Ian]

You guys don't like Reckoner?  I think it's great.  Jigsaw and House of Cards are my least favorite.

(yes, even "Fitter Happier", which is often derided by Radiohead fans).

It is? o_O

[murlough23]

You guys don't like Reckoner?

I like the sound of it... for the first minute or so. But they don't go anywhere with it, so it gets repetitive. I don't hate it; it's listenable. But it's not terribly dynamic.

It is? o_O

At least my experience when I've seen people write reviews heaping praise on every other track on OKC. Maybe those people aren't hardcore fans, but they seem to love the rest of the album and cast aside the one track that's not a "song".

"Electioneering" is also the oft-cited odd man out on that album, which for the life of me, I can't understand. The band has said it's not a concept album, so whether it fits any sort of an overarching lyrical theme is irrelevant. it doesn't feel pointless or out of place to me. It's actually a much needed shot in the arm in terms of energy (certainly not the only up-tempo track on the album, but the second half would really fall into the mid-tempo doldrums if not for that one changing the pace a bit).

And in the little sci-fi novel I've written in my head, "Electioneering" is a very important chapter that informs the chapters to follow - "Climbing Up the Walls" and "No Surprises".

NP: "Fragment (of a Fiery Sun)", Iona

[bloop]

You guys don't like Reckoner?  I think it's great.  Jigsaw and House of Cards are my least favorite.

I'm with him.  "Reckoner" is a definite keeper, and a personal favorite.

"House of Cards" is still my least favorite song on the album, but the video puts it into a narrative context so that I can consider it a bit better, I think.  Good message by negative example there, um, I think. 

I don't have an issue with "Jigsaw" at all really, and I wouldn't change much about the album in general.

"Electioneering" is great.  I can't name a thing I would change about that album.

[Ian]

Electioneering is definitely the weakest track for me, and Fitter Happier one of the strongest.  Climbing Up the Walls and Paranoid Android are the best though.

How to Disappear is my all-time fav Radiohead song though, and perhaps favorite song period.

I don't expect Radiohead will ever make another album as good as Kid A or OKC.  It's my impression that they're more at ease than they've ever been, and while I don't think they'll repeat themselves, I don't think they'll surprise anyone again like they have in the past.

[murlough23]

Electioneering is definitely the weakest track for me

Why? All hell breaks loose in that song. It's fun.

It's my impression that they're more at ease than they've ever been

I guess that explains why they named their website "At Ease Web".

and while I don't think they'll repeat themselves, I don't think they'll surprise anyone again like they have in the past.

Well, I suppose if you believe that Kid A was the project of much turmoil and burnout after becoming more famous than a sane person could handle, then maybe. But I figure they're the kind of band that's gonna get the desire to shake things up every few years. I guess time will tell.