So after listening to nothing but "In Rainbows" for the past 48 hours (I downloaded the album last Friday), I think I’ve had sufficient time to digest Radiohead’s long-awaited 7th album. I’ve been a fan since a little after The Bends was released, although honestly, I didn’t really come to understand their music until I hit college and had sufficient experience with other bands to make adequate comparisons. It’s a bit early to be calling In Rainbows the "Alternative Rock Album of the Year," but it’s so far trounced everything I’ve listened to over the past 10 months.
I guess it’s a real testament to Radiohead’s genius then, that this is still only their 3rd or 4th best album. Why only 3rd or 4th? Well, you have to consider that The Bends (which would be my pick for best Radiohead album ever, and possibly best Alt Rock album of all-time), had such anthemic tracks as "Fake Plastic Trees," "Just" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", and Kid A featured genre-bending songs like "Idioteque" (my personal favorite), "How to Disappear Completely" and "Motion Picture Soundtrack." I would place In Rainbows somewhere alongside OK Computer, which would have been the 3rd album on that list. They are both equally tight and beautifully written, although obviously the older album was significantly more ground-breaking.
What I love most about In Rainbows though, is how extravagantly passionate each song is ("All I Need" packs a hell of a wallop in its last 45 seconds, and "15 Step" and "Bodysnatchers" are electrical storms). Emotional without being emo, each song walks a fantastically thin line between restraint and overindulgence, and it’s a real joy listening to these masters at work.
Check it out if you haven’t already. The whole album is available donationware-style at InRainbows.com.
[ FAN TRIVIA: One of my favorite tracks on In Rainbows, "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" is actually a remake of an older song called "Arpeggi," which was written back in 2005 specifically for the Ondes Martenot, a strange French keyboard from the 1920's that Jonny Greenwood had taken a liking to (and has since used frequently on many Radiohead tracks). A lot of the sounds we mistake for electronica in the last 3 albums comes from this contraption. Check out this Youtube video featuring Thom and Jonny performing the original with the Nazareth Orchestra. ]