Review: Radiohead, In Rainbows

Immediately hectic and enormously satisfying, Radiohead’s latest installment revisits the bands straight-forward style. But, don’t expect business as usual - this is the most low-key album Radiohead has made to date. While the band is clearly speaking the same sonic language they have spoken since OK Computer, In Rainbows is unmistakably more eloquent. It’s warm and inviting, with a densely layered mellifluous vibe that oscillates in complexity throughout the album’s 10 tracks. In Rainbows is a pretty smooth ride from beginning to end, with the possible exception of the final track, “Videotape.” Although not a rabid fan myself, I know die-hard “Radiohead-Heads” will enjoy what could be considered a traditional closing track, as “Videotape” harkens back to the similarly-styled finale cuts of former Radiohead albums such as OK Computer and Kid A.

Much has been made of the method in which Radiohead chose to release the record. They allowed fans to pay whatever they wanted to download the tracks via the band’s website. As little as $.01 was enough to purchase the entire album, with the only instructions reading: “It’s up to you.” It should be noted that this offer now appears to be over, so if you missed the boat (like I did), you’ll be forced to find another way to pirate purchase the music. It was interesting to read the horde of press articles, which seemed to focus more on the controversy surrounding the manner in which In Rainbows was released, rather than the record itself. Opinions range from glowing: stating that Radiohead is innovative, and will save the music industry - to scathing: accusing the band of trying to kill the industry.

I personally believe their method was perfect, and am surprised that they were the first to try it. There is something inherently intimate, even sacred about the connection between musicians and fans. With the advent of internet technology, the obsolete record industry now adds more COST to the equation than VALUE, and thus represents a barrier to that connection. By placing control in the hands of the listener, Radiohead removed that barrier and provided another means of connecting with the millions of people who connect so strongly with them. Should I feel better about connecting with a band that hires a record company to sell their music to me at $18.95 a CD, or a band that trusts me to decide how much their music is worth?

Of course, now I’M spending more time writing about the issues than I am about the music. Oh well, bottom line: In Rainbows is an album I can enjoy, while feeling good about enjoying it. And, if you’ve ever liked a Radiohead song, you’ll enjoy it too.

Download: In Rainbows