Genre: Rock Year: 2003 Country: USA Official Site: Radiohead Details: Tracks & Audio Label: Capitol Records
The arriving of a new Radiohead album is always an event, as the uncompromising and artistic approach of the Oxford band is singular in a musical world where "appearance" is much more praised than talent.
While the majority of critics have hastened to hold forth about the—expected—oddity level of Hail to the Thief, the music of Radiohead should not be "measured" academically but rather judged on its formal beauty. Besides, Radiohead-light already exists under the name of Coldplay.
Just like an abstract painting, their music, abrupt at first, slowly gets deciphered in order to finally be appreciated. Everything is about composition and texture—here between rock, electronics and acoustics—from which a beauty emerges after a certain period of incubation—haunting harmonies carried by the voice of Tom Yorke.
The visual aspect is in phase with their music as their covers can attest, strange and coded (here a map of words). Hail to the Thief was recorded in Los Angeles, which shows in the atmosphere of the album. On certain tracks, "Where I End You begin" in particular, one almost has the impression on driving down the 101 in downtown LA.
While certain moments like "2+2=5" and "Sail to the Moon" are reminiscent of OK Computer and even Pablo Honey (the acoustic ballad "Go to sleep"), the ensemble is in the continuity of Kid A, with a tamed technology this time —"Backdrifts", "The Gloaming"—, but sometimes disturbing—"Myxomatosis". And talking about Coldplay, Radiohead crosses swords with them on "We suck young blood" and "I will". The single "There There" is probably the piece which best summarizes Hail to the Thief: beautiful but rough on the edges, harmonious without yielding to an easy catchy chorus.
With "A Punchup wedding", "Scatterbrain" and "Wolf At the Door", there's no doubt that the band that penned Pablo Honey is the same band to whom we owe Kid A; Radiohead hasn't lost its sense for melody.
Radiohead Hail To The Thief
