Radiohead - 'Hail To The Thief' (Parlophone)
5/5
By: Toby L
By rights, Radiohead's latest, leaked-on-the-net studio-album should be regarded their most challenging.
Why so?
Name another act that have compulsively divided critics and fans so rigidly amidst the past three months over just one release.
'But it's too predictable...'
'It's genius: just look at those arrangements...'
'Poppycock - this is a mere repeat of the past...'
It's a grower - so try living with it before judging...'
Whatever the course of debate, one thing's for certain: Radiohead remain as relevant and important as ever to the direction of modern music, a gauge by which to rank the rest of alt-talent alongside as an indication of paralleling talent or genius.
Controversially, 'Hail To The Thief' sees a mild return to conventionalism in parts (well, conventionalism by their standards). Songs are fully formed this time, produced explicitly and incorporating commonly the philosophy that 'more is more'. And, nigh-on every moment, as the quintet have been many times before, they're right.
But, of the above differing views, it's idea # 4 - i.e. that 'Hail'... is a work to warm to over time, rather than serve as an instantaneous thrill - which proves most prevalent. With matter as complex as the present produce Radiohead are accumulating, it's fact that there's gonna be a need to break down the nutrients you're receiving into manageable chunks, so to speak. The good news, though - '... The Thief' will sustain its placement in CD-players across the globe as a repetitively intriguing, mesmeric, and fascinating force in its own right, regardless of the creators' prior conquests.
'2 + 2 = 5' is the opener - and it's 'Paranoid Android' genius, all lucid break-outs and percussive eruptions, single-worthy and as dynamic and rhythmically enchanting a 'Head composition as they come. 'Sit Down. Stand Up' follows in much a similar vein, instead exchanging the shrill, tingling guitars in favour of spacey electronica and Thom Yorke's refrains of 'THE RAINDROPS' to merrily frightening provocation.
Although, save for the recent stomp of 'There There', the rest of the fourteen tracks veer from the quiet-loud formula, in preference of a far less easy-to-get-to-grips-with endeavour. The bassy clamber of 'Where I End And You Begin' almost morphs into a hook The Charlatans would whack a Hammond alongside, meanwhile, bizarrely fusing with tear-jerking synths and Yorke's mournful bellow to a perfect synergy, while the piano-dosed, twinned-minds of 'Sail To The Moon' and hand-clap crawl of 'We Suck Young Blood' compel to intense degrees. With bouts of carefully-placed insanity burdened in random intervals towards the latter half of the record as well - a dreary, dark 'Myxomatosis', or closing, quite sublime 'A Wolf At The Door' - 'Hail To The Thief' sees Radiohead in their most open, unguarded and, notably, distinctive form thus far.
And, whether the indifference, you can't argue anyone else is still quite crushing expectations or confusing us in such a mainstream capacity as these five Oxfordshire brain-surgeons.
Artists in this article: Radiohead
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