Radiohead: The King of Limbs

Radiohead
The King of Limbs
Rating: Grrrr

I can't tell you how long I have stared at a blank page trying to come up with words to explain how I feel about the new Radiohead album, The King of Limbs. By now, everyone knows the particulars behind this album, how Radiohead announced the release a week before, then stepped up the release date by a day, controlling the means and access to their work, creating maximum anticipation. Regardless of how the album was created or released, it all comes down to whether the music is any good. Which brings me back to my conundrum: I don't know.

This is by far Radiohead's most divisive record. It is short (8 songs under 37 minutes), doesn't have a cohesive sound throughout, is their least "adventurous" album, and doesn't appear to have an overarching theme like most of their releases. Also, what really stands out, or in this case doesn't stand out, is that the album is not very immediate. I began listening to it in my car, and it just faded into the background most of the time. After hearing it a couple of times, I was completely unimpressed. It wasn't until I heard it on headphones that it began to grow on me. The album is a whisper, subtly insinuating itself into your body and soul.

After the many listens I have given, has my opinion moved from being unimpressed to something more? Yes and no. I appreciate the album much more, but it is still a transitional record for me. Rumor is this album is the first part of two, which would make some sense, given its brevity and lack of cohesion. But because I don't have an additional part, I will have to judge it solely based on its own merit. As such, I don't love it like I love OK Computer or In Rainbows, but I can't ignore it. There are some lovely moments on The King of Limbs, and for me to listen to a record as much as I have listened to this, there is something more there. I have a feeling this record will make more sense later on; depending on what Radiohead does next, which could be anything.

If there is anything that sort of binds the record together, is a reliance on repetition and loops. There are hints of jazz, ambient, and Talking Heads-esque world music exploration. Indeed, this album could even be considered Radiohead's Remain In Light; although not quite reaching those brilliant heights. First track "Bloom," starts out with a brightly repetitive piano chord merging into a brisk drum loop. A jazzy bass wanders in and out of the mix. The track has a lovely take on Talk Talk's ambient jazz.



Guitars are virtually nonexistent in the track except as glitchy texture. By midpoint the song reaches its apex with a lovely intertwining of strings and horns.

"Morning Mr. Magpie" brings the guitars into the forefront, with interlocking rhythms riding along on a delicate afro-pop drum loop. The track is tight and claustrophobic, with a lot of ambient drones lurking in the background.



"Little By Little" takes a cheesy drum program and overlays it with gentle acoustic guitars, punctuated with druggy, psychedelic guitar textures. Again, lots of ambient noice is buried in the mix, giving the song a very sinister quality.



"Feral" is the only really sonically adventurous track on The King of Limbs. More akin to Yorke's solo output and his collaborations with Flying Lotus, it is the most electronic song on the album, revealing Radiohead's appreciation for dubstep. Skittering beats and flanges of guitar mesh with cut-up vocals and sub-bass. You can easily picture Yorke performing one of his epileptic fit dances.



First single "Lotus Flower" is likely the best entry point into the album. Electronic beats and burbling synths anchored with monochromatic bass propel the track, creating a platform for Yorke's gorgeous falsetto. A haunting song about unrequited love, with lovely lyrics like "There's an empty space inside my heart/And now it won't take root/And now I set you free/I set you free."



"Lotus Flower" acts as the bridge between the two halves of the record, dividing it between the more forceful beginning and the more ambient, introspective end. "Codex," is another typically stunning piano ballad a la "Pyramid Song," and "How to Disappear Completely," with some amazing horn work in the middle that adds the perfect touch to this haunting elegy.

"Slight of hand
Jump off the end
Into a clear lake
No one around
Just dragonflies
Flying to the side
No one gets hurt
You've done nothing wrong
Slide your hand
Jump off the end
The water's clear
And innocent
The water's clear
And innocent"



"Give Up The Ghost," an acoustic lullaby, features another gorgeous falsetto vocal from Yorke, singing about having to let go of someone. It is quietly devastating and a highlight of the record. I love how the echoed refrain "Don't Haunt Me" becomes stretched and altered until it begins to sound like "Don't Hurt Me."



And it all ends with "Separator," possibly the most straightforward track Radiohead has done since Kid A. Over a crisp drum loop, Yorke sings "And if you think this is over/Then you're wrong" which lends itself to the idea that this is merely the first half of a two part record. The song slowly builds from a very minimal beginning to a more dense ending with lovely chiming guitars and airy, hazy synths. A fitting end to the record.



Being a huge Radiohead fan I wanted to immediately love this album and have them take another huge leap forward with their sound. Unfortunately, I think this record, for me, will end up sharing space with Amnesiac, as a stopgap album before they change their sound again. The King of Limbs is not easy to ignore though. Every time I listen to it, I find something new I hadn't heard before; the problem is I love the songs individually, not as a whole. If there had been something linking them all together in even a subtle way, I think it would have made more of an impression on me. With that said, the album has too many great tracks on it for me to not to give it a high rating. Time will tell if the album will grow on me more, and seeing where they head after this, might shed a brighter light on its place in their catalog.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been trimmed or polished.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.