Someone has to be the soundtrack for state sanctioned walks
through abandoned city streets in the middle of a pandemic, and by god if
that’s not what Radiohead’s for. (I personally prefer Amnesiac for that
scenario, but dealer’s choice.)
Context
is a bit important for this record, and I’ll start with some of the critiques
fans have had about this album as well. The King of Limbs was released
at a time when long waits in between Radiohead albums had by then been
established as the norm, not the exception. It was the follow up to an album
that seemed to hit all the right notes, from the songs themselves to the
groundbreaking “pay what you want” digital release to a widely regarded tour
supporting it. Then came this one, and after two records more on the
alternative side, the band swung back to electronic experimentation in a brief
record that they weren’t even sure they’d be able to play live. Two complaints
emerged after, simultaneous and ironic: it’s not really my cup of tea, and
there’s also not enough of it! (Not to mention the whole “no tour” thing, but
they figured that out and then some)
I think
the reason this record may lose some people is, despite it being a quick 8
tracks, it feels divided into two parts: the first is a rhythm study, the
second is a peaceful, nature-like vibe accomplished using several instruments.
And this would be an even split, side A and side B, if it wasn’t for “Bloom”,
which leads off the album and is probably more in the latter camp, though with
the interesting percussion an argument can be made for the other.
The
more rhythm centric first half can throw some people off, though it’s sonically
interesting and certainly shows how talented the band is. There’s something
very Radiohead about it and very un-Radiohead about it: the guitars in “Morning
Mr. Magpie” are closer to drums than they are to actual guitar, but we’re long
past the group’s guitar hero phase, right? “Feral” is the clubbier version of
older cousin twice-removed “Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors” as an “instrumental”
electronic piece, though it’s one that wouldn’t have been surprising to see as
a Thom solo release or Modeselektor collaboration.
The
tone shifts with “Lotus Flower” as a more familiar sound and song structure,
then segwaying into a 15 minute meditation exercise that seems a long way from
Magpie by the time “Separator” wraps it up. The album feels back heavy mostly
because the second half has a lot of familiar Radiohead elements to it: Thom
crooning over a piano, Johnny subtle guitar work, a Colin bass line that fits
like an old glove. For a lot of fans still used to the warmness of In
Rainbows, this is when the album starts gaining momentum, but then, el
fin.
There
were rumors circling that a “Queen of Limbs” record was going to follow this,
but The King of Limbs and a few b-sides is what we got. I’m happier with
the time passed and those outtakes consumed that they kept the record to what
it is. I really enjoy this album, though it’s not one that I put on as much
their others, and many will say that it’s one that took the longest to “get”. It’s
one that makes sense after two previous records that the band saw as too
bloated (Hail To The Thief) and an exhausting process to make (In
Rainbows). We may not have seen an album just like it with Radiohead
before, but we’ve seen it from them before: strike gold with an album, then try
something completely different. They deserved to have some fun with this one.
If The
King of Limbs doesn’t click for you but you still like Radiohead’s other work,
check out their From The Basement sessions where the live versions of the songs
get played. A lot of fans came around to the record when this was released. I
enjoy this album the most on a day when the season turns- the first spring day,
a drive home in a summer night, a rainy October day, etc. The King of Limbs
stays king in that regard.
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