The Eraser - Thom Yorke (The Eraser - Thom Yorke)

Member Name: misssaxyness

Product:	The Eraser - Thom Yorke
Date:	25/08/08 (61 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Pushes boundaries politically and emotionally, wonderful composition

Disadvantages: Possibly a little too intense or strange for non fans

Track Listing: The Eraser, Analyse, The Clock, Black Swan, Skip Divided, Atoms For Peace, And It Rained All Night, Harrowdown Hill, Cymbal Rush.

Many people, myself included, were waiting with bated breath for the release of The Eraser. Having been a Radiohead fan for as long as i can remember being into music, i have enjoyed watching Radiohead change and grow from depressing and sad, to expressive and mad - with Thom Yorke's darker and more personal influences moulding a new type of sound for the band. Kid A saw the cross-roads emerge for Radiohead, and won them as many fans as they lost with the change in direction. It's those experimental melodies intertwined with dark forcing trip-hop beats, nicely sliced with jazz and Thom's trademark delicate voice, that paved the way for The Eraser.

The title track is first up, and it's a great song to give you a feel of the whole album. It tells tales of heartbreak and betrayal in the way only Thom Yorke could do. He sings "be careful how you respond, or you could end up in this song", and i fully believe him. He could be out there stalking you in the shadows gaining more material for the next album right now. The striking piano chords and bubbly drum effects don't mask this track's dark underbelly, and it leaves you aching for more vengeful moody goodness.

We aren't disappointed in wanting more of what are essentially very good 'break up' songs, as Black Swan and Skip Divided are both excellent examples of. Thom has seemingly written this album from his heart, and is naturally aimed at people he has emotional connections with, so it's very easy to feel a bond with what he's singing and disappear (completely) inside his head.

The lack of guitar within the songs isn't a minus point for this album. Granted it is a big part of Thom Yorke's musical history, but with this fresh step forward, he seems to be asking new things of us as listeners, stretching our minds and eardrums as one. Still, 'The Clock', 'Harrowdown Hill' and 'Black Swan' have some beautifully arranged guitar riffs which will keep any fellow guitar lover drooling for more.

The artwork for this album is, as always with Radiohead and Thom Yorke's influences, stunning. The artist, Stanley Donwood (who has been used by Radiohead before), didn't intentionally produce these outstanding pieces of work for the album, but when he heard that Yorke was working on The Eraser, he hoped that his work would get picked. The pieces fit in perfectly with the themes running through the album, and are a fitting and beautiful accompaniment.

Sitting in a living room, lights dimmed, with a glass of the good stuff in your hand is the place to listen to this album. As we're taken though a winding forest of anger, hate, revenge and loves long lost, the journey never once gets boring or predictable. Each song, though similar in theme and amazingly produced are completely different and worthy in their own right. I never fail to be taken into some kind of other worldly dreamland whilst listening to The Eraser, and this is part of it's huge attraction. These tracks have all the depth, meaning and emotion of Thom's earlier works, with some extra spice and wonderful nu-modern sounds to give it his stamp of individualism, and it has succeeded 100%

I would fully reccommend this album to any Thom Yorke/Radiohead fan, and people interested in their past years. Many have argued it is a step too far away from what both Thom York and Radiohead have created and suceeded in for many years - but i don't think thats a bad thing. Music needs to mould and change with the times to stay fresh, which is what has happened with The Eraser. It holds wonderfully intelligent lyrics, and is dark and wonderfully indie in the truest form of the word. Definitely worth buying in my oppinion, although possibly a little too intense or strange for a more easy listen/non fan.

Check out the official website www.theeraser.net for more weird and wonderful surprises.

Summary: Fantastic album if you're already a fan of Thom Yorke or Radiohead