Radiohead's New Material
In the words of one Pitchfork Media reviewer, “If you’re waiting for these guys to finally fuck-up something royal, keep waiting. They’re unbacklashable”. After all the critical acclaim of OK Computer back in 1997, no one could have imagined that Radiohead would survive the inevitable backlash. Radiohead didn’t just survive it; they came back with a recording session that spawned two not-especially-radio-friendly but absolutely top-notch albums.
In their frustration with modern rock music, the band helped pave the way for crazy, glitchy electronic music (previously the exclusive domain of snobby college radio fans) to merge into the world of mainstream rock. Then, instead of the predictable “return to form” album that comes after every experimental binge, Hail to the Thief, an album that essentially highlighted everything fans love about Radiohead, from the hooks to the out-there electronic bits.
So, what’s been going on since 2003? A lot of jamming and not a lot of touring, and thusfar, Radiohead have some ten or so live tracks to show for it. And if these new tracks are any indication of their forthcoming album, then Radiohead has topped themselves once again. Indeed, the folks out there waiting for the band to fall flat on their face had best keep waiting.
The skittish, syncopating drum section of “15 Steps” and classical guitar line bring make this track a definite stand-out, perhaps, but if you took the rhythm section from “Idioteque” and merged it with the guitar from “Scatterbrain” you’ll get a rough idea. If the more standard rock tracks from Hail to the Thief didn’t convince the people who still think Radiohead is whiny alternative rock, “Bangars and Mash” and “Bodysnatchers” are two pulsing rockers with a grungy Pearl Jam/Fugazi guitar sound. Finally, “Arpeggi”, destined to be another standout track in the forthcoming album, has a little more of the wattery, elegaic sound found in earlier tracks like “Pyramid Song”, but with a fast drum beat and a huge emphasis on cyclical, repeating guitar bits.
A little gift for those who are still reading, here is a live video of “Arpeggi” courtesy of Pitchfork. Enjoy.
technorati tags:music, radiohead, video, album, review, pitchforkmedia
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