Radiohead
In Rainbows
TBD Rceords
The most Romantic Album of the Year award belongs to none other to my favorite band Radiohead. Wait, how did this happen? From the opening notes we all can feel the sparks that sent shivers down our eagerly-awaiting spines—pure unadulterated brilliance to my ears. I love Colin's sultry bassline on "Nude." This must have been what Thom was talking about when he said Radiohead wanted to make music to have sex to. Yes, "Nude" is quite beautiful and sexy, especially Jonny's equally seductive guitar riffs that even Al Green and Marvin Gaye would love to sing over. And let's not forget Phil's tender touches on the drums. The kind of gentle beats that would make Massive Attack want to sample on their next album. The lushly arranged "All I Need" is a perfect lyrical equivalent to the sound of "Nude." Thom has never written about love and intimacy as he does In Rainbows. Like a Romeo in black jeans, Yorke sings for all of us the romantics singing about the infinite complexities of relationships coming to life as Radiohead brings "All I Need" to its exciting climax. You can feel the emotions coming loud and clearer than ever before especially in songs like "House of Cards," as Yorke sings, "I just wanna be your lover/ No matter how it ends/ No matter how it starts."
In Rainbows is also the first Radiohead album in ages where we can actually hear the soulful vocals of Thom Yorke throughout. Who would have thought after releasing the electronics heavy solo album The Eraser, Thom would release his most heartfelt sounding songs in quite some time. It's the little things on In Rainbows that stand out to me, like the way that Thom enunciates every syllable in songs like "15 Step," such as the way that he says "etcetera." Another fun fact: the beats on "Videotape" mirror the sped up ones in the opening track "15 Step?" If you put the album on repeat it runs like a full-circle dream, which you can relive again, like watching your favorite film go on and on forever. Could this be the reason why the album begins with the lyrics, "How come I end up where I started?" Think about it and play it on a loop and see if you hear what I hear.
So when did Radiohead become such lyrical and rhythmic romantics? Hard to say, but for a band that's been called "cold" and "indulgent," they sound more human than ever, connecting with the love and adoration that we all want to feel.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
12.17.2007
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