My unimportant two pence.

Maybe it's just because I know too many hipster boys, but all I've heard about lately is the new Radiohead album. Well, I've downloaded it, too, so I thought I'd weigh in, even though no one reads this, and even if they did, they wouldn't care. Also, I know shit about music, and am definitely not hip, so don't take what I write here as gospel, and don't assume that I at all know what I'm talking about.

First of all, how fucking smart are they to have it available as pay what you want? I mean, that really touched this tightwad's heart. And, if I loved it, I would pay the regular price for the discbox, and it's always a good thing to get paid twice. They get some money from people who aren't really fans, but they're also certain to get the full cost from the super-duper fans. It's a brilliant maneuver and hopefully, a lesson to the music industry who are always whining like little babies about how they don't make enough money.

But I digress. I've listened to In Rainbows twice, and I'm just not sure. I think that the opening song, is actually kind of weak. I mean, it's cool and all, just not really what I expected them to choose to set the tone for this long-awaited album. Bodysnatchers, hmm, this one is just really confusing. Once the instrumentation changes, (2 minutes into the track??) I really like it, I guess I just like half the song. . . Anyway, redemption comes with Nude. This song is fucking gorgeous, and reminds me of what I originally loved about Radiohead. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi I'm trying hard to like. (That sounds bad.) I don't even really dislike it, I guess I just think it's the reverse of the problem with Bodysnatchers. It gets weird about halfway through, and then I don't like the rest of it. All I Need is a good song, albeit somewhat boring. Faust Arp is a nice choice for a short, simple interlude, although a little complexity wouldn't hurt, but Reckoner is a pretty big deal to introduce, now that I think about it. And actually, since I'm listening to this album for the third time as I type this post, I kind of think that Reckoner is one of the best things I've heard in a while. And I like the last three songs, so I guess I actually do like this album. A lot. Also, I think I need to be high the next time I listen to it.

Basically, I think that Kid A is Radiohead's best album, and no matter how many times I listen to it, I am always surprised by how good it is. (Well, some days I like The Bends better, not gonna lie.) But the more I listen to In Rainbows, the better it is, so I think that although it wasn't the epiphanic experience that Kid A was, it is an impressive addition to the repertoire. Maybe the moral of the story is that the fans' expectations rise way too high when they have to wait a long time for a new record. So, yeah, get to it. With a little speed, s'il vous plait.