The Wanderer
Kid A
so here's my review of the new radiohead...
don't ask me how I know, let's just say I'm in there, you know?
it pays knowing the chaps over at the Washington Post Style section...
1. 2+2=5 - It starts off with this sound that starts like a tape recorder being turned on - very warm hiss - before it breaks and dies. Then the song starts. Beautiful harmonies straight from the start, with crazy waves of guitar noise during the big buildup (guitars sound something akin to the end part of "in limbo," very awesome). It sounds a bit more compressed and not quite as balls-out as the live version, but thom's singing during the 'paying attention!' part sounds awesome. Not quite sure what else to say. One of my favorites.
2. Sit Down/Stand up - Epic, pretty much like the live versions. Like 2+2, it's another song with great building tension. Cool buildup, sounds like violins in the background doing a "pyramid song" type thing. It really explodes during the crescendo, again thom's voice is incredible.
3. Sail to the Moon - Very pretty, much better than live versions. Like "pyramid song," there are lots of beautiful noises that just don't come across live. Nice guitar. Very dreamy.
4. Backdrifts - electronic sounding, but still song-y if that makes any sense. Thom kinda reverts to his 'mantra' singing stuff, sounds like very few lines in the song. Throughout the song his voice and the melody kinda begin mutating - hard to describe but very cool sounding. A bit uptempo but still not exactly 'rocking' like "idioteque."
5. Go to Sleep - Very guitar rock. I don't remember liking this one that much, I still can't remember how it goes. There's not many radioheady "noises" as it mostly sticks to this thick neil young style guitar soup.
6. Where I End and You Begin - Very Pornography-era Cure. Jonny's Ondes is definitely present, providing some nice hooks throughout the song. Thom's vocals are good, phil's drums are thumping and tribal. The song sounds a bit less cheesy and yet more bombastic than the live versions. The buzzsaw guitars are turned down (thankfully, i say!) but are still present.
7. We Suck Young Blood - I don't remember liking the live version so much, but this is very very good. Very spooky, it's got a chorus vocal that sounds like a group of doomed pirate singing in some ghostly saloon. Sorry, that's just what it sounds like. There are these cool noises, like a ball and chain being dragged on the ground, kinda sounds like handclaps. Good piano.
8. The Gloaming - kinda low-key, like the Amnesiac b-sides. Warm and electronic, the song is fairly short and has a kind of sweet melody. I'm not sure how much I like it, it sounds like it's here to be a transition piece.
9. There There - I know it's the single, but the studio version seems to be lacking something. I mean, it's very VERY good and I can definitely see why they decided to make it the single, but I dunno, Thom kinda changes the melody on the verse and it sounds weird.
10. I Will - Pitch perfect. Very sweet multiple Thom's cooing. Don't know what else to say. A highlight.
11. Punch- Up - Also much better than the live versions. This whole album is just recorded so well, it makes all these songs sound so GOOD. Not much different from live versions, nice piano. Guitar a bit louder in the mix, nice Thom vocals. Sexy if I were gay or straight.
12. Myxomatosis - Very cool actually, pretty different fromt the live versions. Stuttering drum beat and circular guitar make way for crazy, nasty keyboards that sound very 'punk' just because they're so loud and obnoxious. He sings "I've got Myxomatosis!" in this really worried kinda hysteric voice that kinda reminds me of Mark E. Smith or somebody.
13. Scatterbrain - This one sounds better than the live versions too. not much different in the song, but it's just recorded so well and so many rich little things come through. Very nice strong straight drums and passionate Thom vocals. Very moving crescendo, ends with chime-y jangling guitars.
14. Wolf at the Door - very cool, minor-key song. Sounds like vibraphone or something doubling the guitar lines, and it later kinda does this compliment part. Pretty cool. Thom's vocals sound canned or something, pretty cool. Actually works well as a closer.
don't ask me how I know, let's just say I'm in there, you know?
it pays knowing the chaps over at the Washington Post Style section...
1. 2+2=5 - It starts off with this sound that starts like a tape recorder being turned on - very warm hiss - before it breaks and dies. Then the song starts. Beautiful harmonies straight from the start, with crazy waves of guitar noise during the big buildup (guitars sound something akin to the end part of "in limbo," very awesome). It sounds a bit more compressed and not quite as balls-out as the live version, but thom's singing during the 'paying attention!' part sounds awesome. Not quite sure what else to say. One of my favorites.
2. Sit Down/Stand up - Epic, pretty much like the live versions. Like 2+2, it's another song with great building tension. Cool buildup, sounds like violins in the background doing a "pyramid song" type thing. It really explodes during the crescendo, again thom's voice is incredible.
3. Sail to the Moon - Very pretty, much better than live versions. Like "pyramid song," there are lots of beautiful noises that just don't come across live. Nice guitar. Very dreamy.
4. Backdrifts - electronic sounding, but still song-y if that makes any sense. Thom kinda reverts to his 'mantra' singing stuff, sounds like very few lines in the song. Throughout the song his voice and the melody kinda begin mutating - hard to describe but very cool sounding. A bit uptempo but still not exactly 'rocking' like "idioteque."
5. Go to Sleep - Very guitar rock. I don't remember liking this one that much, I still can't remember how it goes. There's not many radioheady "noises" as it mostly sticks to this thick neil young style guitar soup.
6. Where I End and You Begin - Very Pornography-era Cure. Jonny's Ondes is definitely present, providing some nice hooks throughout the song. Thom's vocals are good, phil's drums are thumping and tribal. The song sounds a bit less cheesy and yet more bombastic than the live versions. The buzzsaw guitars are turned down (thankfully, i say!) but are still present.
7. We Suck Young Blood - I don't remember liking the live version so much, but this is very very good. Very spooky, it's got a chorus vocal that sounds like a group of doomed pirate singing in some ghostly saloon. Sorry, that's just what it sounds like. There are these cool noises, like a ball and chain being dragged on the ground, kinda sounds like handclaps. Good piano.
8. The Gloaming - kinda low-key, like the Amnesiac b-sides. Warm and electronic, the song is fairly short and has a kind of sweet melody. I'm not sure how much I like it, it sounds like it's here to be a transition piece.
9. There There - I know it's the single, but the studio version seems to be lacking something. I mean, it's very VERY good and I can definitely see why they decided to make it the single, but I dunno, Thom kinda changes the melody on the verse and it sounds weird.
10. I Will - Pitch perfect. Very sweet multiple Thom's cooing. Don't know what else to say. A highlight.
11. Punch- Up - Also much better than the live versions. This whole album is just recorded so well, it makes all these songs sound so GOOD. Not much different from live versions, nice piano. Guitar a bit louder in the mix, nice Thom vocals. Sexy if I were gay or straight.
12. Myxomatosis - Very cool actually, pretty different fromt the live versions. Stuttering drum beat and circular guitar make way for crazy, nasty keyboards that sound very 'punk' just because they're so loud and obnoxious. He sings "I've got Myxomatosis!" in this really worried kinda hysteric voice that kinda reminds me of Mark E. Smith or somebody.
13. Scatterbrain - This one sounds better than the live versions too. not much different in the song, but it's just recorded so well and so many rich little things come through. Very nice strong straight drums and passionate Thom vocals. Very moving crescendo, ends with chime-y jangling guitars.
14. Wolf at the Door - very cool, minor-key song. Sounds like vibraphone or something doubling the guitar lines, and it later kinda does this compliment part. Pretty cool. Thom's vocals sound canned or something, pretty cool. Actually works well as a closer.