What a Bargain: Radiohead's 'In Rainbows'

On Saturday night I was at a bar, picking songs on the jukebox with my friend Brendan, when he saw one option and said, "I love Radiohead, but not so much when I'm out having drinks with friends." Well, after Brendan listens to Radiohead's new album In Rainbows, he may have to change his mind.

I never thought I'd classify a Radiohead song as a party track, and I never thought I'd consider Thom Yorke a great soul singer. But that's the beauty of this album. On a technical level, In Rainbows varies only incrementally from the band's previous efforts. But those variations, however minor, produce a dramatic effect.

Check out the full review and listen to three songs from In Rainbows after the jump...

 

Let's go to the audiotape. When I say "party track," I'm referring primarily to "Bodysnatchers." Check it out.

By Radiohead standards, that's a party track. But while "Bodysnatchers" gets your booty shaking, it's not as representative of the album as some others. Here's a taste of Thom Yorke's newly-discovered R&B side, complemented beautifully by what's essentially a jazz riff, as heard in "15 Step."

Yorke's singing offers the greatest revelation of In Rainbows. On past albums he sounded like someone desperately trying to warn of an oncoming disaster. On In Rainbows he sounds more like someone saying that it just might be okay after all. Check out "Reckoner." The second half might be even more beautiful than the first.

Listen to Radiohead's "Reckoner."

It annoys me that every Radiohead review since OK Computer compares the album in question to OK Computer, so I've vowed not to do that. That's a great album, but people who think it's Radiohead's best are more in love with what they want Radiohead to be than what Radiohead is. (I can say this because I'm one of those people.)

I don't know whether hardcore fans will react to this album the same way I have, because I'm not a hardcore fan. Listening to Radiohead generally makes me feel anxious and unsatisfied. And I don't mean that as an insult. I think that's often their intention, and creating music that sparks such complex emotions requires nothing short of brilliance. It's just that I rarely want to feel anxious and unsatisfied. In Rainbows, however, imparts a distinctly different feeling.

So how much is this album worth? That's a pertinent question since, as you probably know, Radiohead is offering it only through their website, and they let you pay as much or as little as you want for it. I paid four British pounds (about $8). Luke paid three pounds. Our engineer Josh paid one. I was debating between three and four, but I decided to go higher because I like the concept and wanted to encourage it. After hearing In Rainbows, I would have shelled out five.