Radiohead
In Rainbows
Self-Released
#2. In Rainbows
by Radiohead
The most
surprising thing about Radiohead's seventh album turned out to be
neither the method of distribution (email) nor the suggested retail
price (whatever you want) but the fact that when the damn thing finally
materialized... it was a Coldplay record! Alright, it's not quite that
wet, but having gone as far as experimentation and paranoia could take
them, Thom Yorke and company started over, honed their melodies and let
their warmest emotions run free. With its swooning vocals and rising
strings Nude could be filed under R&B, while All I Need resolves with a
series of contented sighs. Even the spooky-starting Videotape ends with
the life affirming lyric "today has been/ The most perfect day I've ever
seen." Factor in that they still pack more complexity into their tracks
than any rock band on earth, and In Rainbows was well worth whatever you
paid for it.