So the much anticipated (at least for the Radiohead fandom) solo album of Thom Yorke has been leaked recently and is available all over the torrent sites. It was due to be out on 10and 11 July instead and in a way it’s a shame that it got leaked, but I couldn’t pass the opportunity to try it and I broke my personal rule of never downloading music…
Well, the album still has a strong Radiohead-esque feel to it, even though Thom is much more prevalent throughout, with clearer, meaningful songs, some of which are quite haunting.
Like the latest Radiohead albums Kid A, Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief, this still is very weird-techno-dance in many way and needs some getting used to.
I personally don’t like every songs on this album, but making the effort of listening to it a few times is worth it.
What I love about Tom’s and Radiohead’s brand of music are the multi-layer melodies that seep up from the sometimes over-complex arrangements. Even simpler songs like Fitter Happier from OK Computer become favourites as you uncover melodies that you didn’t really notice earlier on.
I never get tired of Radiohead. It’s complex enough that you keep being surprised by it as you uncover new meaning depending on your mood.
Having said that, some of their lesser known songs have beautiful straightforward melodies that really affect me beyond their assumed simplicity (like the live version of Spinning Plates, Punchdrunk Lovesick Singalong or Permanent Daylight).
The only other group that I keep listening to nowadays is Sigur Ros. They have rich and haunting songs that regularly give me shivers down the spine.
Visit http://www.greenplastic.com/ and http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/.
