After coming out of a break after their last album, “Hail to the King,” Radiohead teased two new singles to promote their newest work at the time, “In Rainbows.” Those singles would be “Jigsaw Falling Into Place,” a groovy and lushly produced song with an amazing rise in tension, and “Nude,” a subtle and quiet track that is lead forward by one of singer Thom Yorke’s best vocal performances yet, which is saying something.
With these two singles out, “In Rainbows” had brought lots of excitement towards its release. “Nude” debuted at number 37 out of 100 in the Billboard 100, which was the first single to be on the site since older songs like “High and Dry” and the iconic “Creep.”
Separating itself from the potent anger on “Hail to the Thief” and the themes isolationism of “Ok Computer,” Radiohead’s seventh studio album feels like yet another expression of these concepts and emotions through song, if not portrayed in a different way. This album feels much more abstract in its lyricism, which is very reminiscent to albums like “Kid A.” Love and disappointment are what I found to be very apparent themes throughout the album, though.
The opening track, “15 Step,” comes to mind, with lyrics portraying a failed relationship and its futile pursuits. Instrumentally, I love how the track opens with an electric drum machine, slowly metamorphosing into a full jam with warm guitar tones and a looping bass melody that will easily get inside of your head. By the end of the track, there is an imposing sense of dread through the instrumentation that is very hard to ignore.
“Bodysnatchers” manages to continue this feeling of dread, only leading it to a blistering climax. From the distorted bass riff that opens up to the drums blasting with energy, to one of Yorke’s most enigmatic vocal performances ever, this song captures what “15 Step” left, and runs with it until it cannot.
The lyrics here are also super interesting, apparently gaining inspiration of old Victorian ghost stories, and what Yorke quotes as this specific feeling of “your physical consciousness trapped without being able to connect fully with anyone else.”
“Nude,” as said above, is the most quiet track on the album. For most of its run track, it is Yorke singing with a close-sounding bass tone as the driving melody. Other than that, it is a beautiful moment on the album and a subversion from the melodic tone of the first two songs. It also has a very interesting lyrical concept, but it is not my favorite out of all the others on this album.
I think the best moments on this album come in the next two tracks, “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” and “All I Need.” “Weird Fishes” especially takes the more intense and fast moments of the first two songs, and perfectly combines that with the more emotional feeling of “Nude.” The guitar melody is one of the best and most iconic on this entire album, and the switch up from the gorgeous first half to the darker second feels rewarding and makes sense conceptually. I also like how the lyrics describe Yorke or the protagonist as a fish, and uses lyricism of sea life, it is one of the most powerful and best songs on the album.
Following that, though, is “All I Need,” a devastating follow up. What many have described as a more mature version of “Creep,” this song describes the feeling of yearning for a romantic interest with such interesting and devastating metaphors. Like “Nude,” this song is very intimate, with a loud pounding bass melody and a skipping drum pattern. However, what really makes this song stand out is its ending, when all of a sudden, the song bursts into one of the most beautiful and sad orchestrated pieces on the whole album, with an organ, glockenspiel, piano, drums, and guitars all blasting as loudly as possible. It is an unexpected yet amazing moment that ends off the first half of this album.
“House of Cards” and “Faust Arp” are the only songs here to me that don’t stick out as much as the others. Cutting “Faust Arp” some slack though, it is a smaller track with beautiful backing violins and an interesting conceptual story, but to me that is all it has going for it. ”
“House of Cards” is very simple, with a minimal drum pattern and riff that back throughout the entire song. Yorke sings yet again about wanting to be a romantic partner to someone, which does feel repetitive and less impactful after “All I Need.” And coming in around five minutes, I can’t help but be a little bit bored from listening to this.
In between those, however, is “Reckoner.” It picks up on certain motifs throughout this record, with intimate guitar melodies and a small drum pattern. This song does add a beautiful orchestral attribute to it that builds and falters throughout the entire track, and it comes off as one of the most relaxing and beautiful songs on the album.
Lyrically, it seems to be vaguely about escapism, and the yearning for it in a place of uncomfortability.
Things do pick up much quicker with “Jigsaw Falling Into Place,” after “House of Cards.” As I said above, this song is so lush with a mind-bending acoustic guitar melody that continues all throughout the song. Like “Bodysnatchers,” it rises to a high point in tension, even with its lyrics apparently reminiscing of the band’s drunken nights together.
If “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” is an intense rise in desperate tension, then “Videotape” is the aftermath of the worst outcome. As an outro, it is devastating while also coming full circle. The piano melody that builds to a subtle orchestration is melancholic and beautiful, and the looping drums that are reminiscent of the electric drums on “15 Step” feel much more unnerving in this context. It is a powerful way to end such a roller coaster ride of emotions that this whole album brings.
“In Rainbows” is yet another showcase of Radiohead’s power in emotional songwriting and instrumentation, portraying lyrics of existential dread through a now more abstract lens. While I do find it to be a little vague or underwhelming at points, my main standout highlight for this album is the instrumentation. It varies from song to song, going from a loud and intense portion of song down to the most soft and comforting sound on the album, ending in pure melancholy with “Videotape.”
In terms of full albums, I still prefer “Ok Computer” and “Kid A.” However, “In Rainbows” is worthy of its unanimous praise with its range in beauty. I would give this album an eight out of ten.