In Rainbows - Radiohead

The only band who can effectively protect the entire world from being destroyed in a nuclear war (never underestimate the power of a boringly written blog, friends) are back, with a new album that moves them out of their niche as a world-changingly brilliant but not actually that interesting act and into a new sound. I could be talking about Coldplay of course, but I'm actually talking about that OTHER overly political band, Radiohead. After a four-year break following their last studio album, the mellow Hail To The Thief, which itself hailed a more listenable approach to making music following two successively odder music experiments, they brought out a new album in ...  Read the complete review

Radiohead were not the first band to release their music digitally or free of charge. But to put it simply, they were the first band of international significance. Such was the reaction on the 1st October when a short blog post from guitarist, Jonny Greenwood, signalled the bands intentions for new download-only release, In Rainbows. "Hello everyone. Well, the new album is finished, and it's coming out in 10 days; We've called it In Rainbows. Love from us all." If the shock announcement of an imminent album wasn't enough, it was the pricing and distribution structure that would raise the coyest eyebrows. And so it did. There is ...  Read the complete review

Radiohead have never been fans of doing things in the conventional way. They have in the past released albums only 8 months apart, released an album without any singles, music videos, or indeed any promotion whatsoever, they have hopped between genres and still left fans and critics alike with their jaws scraping along the floor. But perhaps more ingenious than any of that, they managed to accumulate more free press than, well... anyone, by announcing their "pay what you want scheme" for the release of their latest album "In Rainbows". This really seemed to spark a huge debate, about whether it was fair to pay nothing at all, and even ...  Read the complete review

At only 10 tracks long, and being over 5 years in the making, you would expect this album to be perfect. 'In Rainbows' neatly brings together all the best elements of Radiohead's output since Kid A, whilst excluding all the worst. The opening track '15 Step' has some lovely jazz guitar and a rather strange, but slightly contrived drumbeat. 'Bodysnatchers' is a neat reminder that this is a band which started off playing guitars, and play them well. The three guitars interlock with a brutal, yet hypnotic effect. The next song, 'Nude' is probably my least favourite song on here, it is just too slow paced for my liking, an the Ed's use of the ebow just isn't ...  Read the complete review

Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' was famously released with the attached gimmick that listeners could 'set their own price tag'. As somebody who decided to pay a mere £5 for this album, I was soon feeling guilty that I hadn't donated more. After two listens, I was hooked. This collection at once highlights the busy maelstrom of the world whilst placing the listener in an eerily calm space at the same time. '15-step' could be described as 'glitchy' - but not in the negative sense of glitches in computer software. This song could easily have been carved from the sound pioneered in the 'Kid A' period, clearly taking influence from Electronic acts such as ...  Read the complete review