Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
Hello everyone, welcome back to my blog. Today, I will be reviewing The King Of Limbs. This album is often considered one of the two worst Radiohead albums, alongside Pablo Honey. Anthony Fantano even said it's his least favourite Radiohead album. Why? Because this album focuses around repetitive loops. Is it really that bad? No.
We start with Bloom, mainly revolving around a slow 5/4 breakbeat drum loop. It goes on for the entirety of the song, and whilst most will say it gets very repetitive, I find quite entrancing. Than Thom comes in with the vocals, and I just love the way the beat and the singing blend into one another. Around the middle, we find a serene string section, which spirals into a crescendo, before returning to the beat. Must say, this is one of my favourite openers from Radiohead.
Next we have Morning Mr. Magpie, which revolves around a catchy bassline. This is one of the groovier songs on here. The synth pads that slowly come in also give this song some variety. Another great one.
Little By Little is similiar to it's predecessor, only this time being much more chaotic., the drums being the main reason this is. The vocals are also some of Thom's most high pitched. The occasional guitar strums add to the songs feel, and it's overall, just very nice.
Feral is one of my favourite songs on here. The "synth vocal" washes are amazing. The drums are amazing, and the vocal are haunting. It's the shortest song on the album, but I wish it was a bit longer.
Lotus Flower is another great song. The groovy beat, the fat synth bass, the vocals, they all come together to create a highlight. The synth pads that come in during the chorus add to the serene atmosphere of this song. I also want to point out that, lyrically, this track feels like something from it's time, the early 2010s.
Codex is another great song. It's just a somber piano ballad, with minimal vocals and a muted kick. It's simple, yet very nice.
Giving Up The Ghost is another simple track, featuring acoustic guitars and very echoey vocals, creating a very calm atmosphere, as if Thom is singing this song for you on a warm Sunday noon.
And finally, Separator closes the album. It's one of Radiohead's happiest songs. It's sounds so carefree. It's calm, the vocals are warm, the whole song sounds so nice and welcoming, definetly one of my favourite Radiohead songs.
Most will say that this album is boring and repetitive, but I see a bundle of great songs, that create a very serene and groovy album, and is, in fact, one of my favourite Radiohead records.
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