Radiohead - Kid A
Hello everyone, welcome back to my blog. Today, I will be reviewing the guided tour through the apocalypse, Kid A. Thom Yorke, front man of Radiohead said that Kid A will be the name of the first human clone, and that this album represents the environment in which the clone grows up in. With no singles or music videos, and with one of the most critically acclaimed albums of all time being it's predecessor, many people were expecting more rock 'n' roll from Radiohead, similiar to The Bends and OK Computer, but instead, they got a barren wasteland of sound, bringing in many influences from around the music world. Let's see what they've got...
Right off the bat, we are greeted to the cold synth chords and glitchy vocals of Everything In It's Right Place. A muted kick drum and weird, heavily filtered vocals ring in the background. This song is emotionally emotionless. By that I mean, the cold synths combined with Thom's vocals create this beautiful, indescribable atmosphere.
And after that, we have the title track. We open on a crunchy drum beat and plucky synths. It gives off a very comforting feel. Then Thom comes in with some extremely filtered vocals. They sound as if they're coming through a talkbox, which gives it a very unique sound. If I could describe this song, it would be the song that plays in the early morning, the sky is a dark blue, a bit chilly and the moon is still shining.
All of a sudden, a heavily distorted bassline kicks in, bringing in the first actual rock song on here. The National Anthem stays for a minute and a half before brining in vocals. The song is filled with weird SFX and filed recordings I think, giving off a "busy" vibe. Then, a horn comes in. Then another one. And another one. Chaos ensues as a group of trumpets, saxophones and other brass instruments scream loudly, stepping on each other, fighting for the spotlight. It all spirals into a loud, final blare.
An acoustic guitar kicks in, as the mellow and hopeless How To Disappear Completely begins. Strings and synth washes flood the soundscape occasionally, as Thom sings in one of his most painful performances ever. The raw, melancholy is gorgeous. Towards the end, they bring in more strings, slowly closing the song.
After that we have a nice ambient piece, Treefingers is one of the shortest songs on this album, featuring beautiful synth pads, occasional bells and whale-like sounds. Really nice song, and a breath of fresh air.
Optimistic is a pretty nice rock song, with some fuzzy guitars and quiet droning synth pads. The vocals were also pretty nice. Whilst it was one of the lesser cuts, it was still a great song.
In Limbo comes immediately after, with a bit more of an atmospheric sound, with a bunch of reverb and less distorted guitars. Pretty nice song.
But then...
Heavy synthetic basslines, crunchy, artificial sounding drums and droning synth pads kick in. Idioteque is my favourite song on here. The IDM groove, rhythm and instrumentation are absolutely amazing. The vocals are also absolutely stellar. I have to point out how hard that synth bass hits. Brilliant!
Next, we have the warm and welcoming Morning Bell. The nice combination of rock and electronic instrumentation is a really nice mix. The vocals are also so playful. This would have fit in very nicely on In Rainbows honestly.
And finally, we end on a soft, yet mellow note with Motion Picture Soundtrack. Droning synth chords and whimsical instrumentation make this song sound like nothing else on this album. A gorgeous end to this album!
Need I say anything else? Masterpiece! An absolute masterpiece!
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