Agreed! Only on track 4/5 atm (had to go out), but it is definitely a move in the right direction.
Radiohead have never created another album to match the anthems of The Bends and OK Computer, but IMO this has taken a step back from their most recent albums, which is a good thing. As much as I admired and enjoyed Hail to the Theif and the Erazer by Thom Yorke, they weren't exactly 'easy listening'. IMO the songs/albums were all 'growers', they took a lot of listening to to get into the rhythms and hidden beats which I think alienated previous Radiohead fans.
People wanted another 'Creep', but they weren't getting anything near, we got distracted electronica instead. I liked it, infact I loved it just for being different and trying something new.
This album, I feel, has taken the best of both worlds - Radiohead of old and new. We have more Thom Yorke vocals in the vein of 'Karma Police' but still with a diluted electronica vibe in the background. IT varies from track to track, so I guess that keeps everyone happy!
7/8 out of 10 from me, and I haven't even finished listening to the whole album!
It's been on constant repeat for me since Wednesday. The boys have made a really lovely album, it's so chilled and has such a cool vibe, and Thom's voice sounds better than it ever did. Yeah, it may lack the big anthemic 'here comes the chorus' moments of their earlier work, but they're still just bloody good songs with great arrangements and great performances. Really the most pleasant surprise of the year!
Well, as of now, becuase I have no money, I've taken the cheap cop-out way of paying 0.00£ for the album, but more than likely, if I do in fact like it (which I do so far), I'll probably purchase it proper and pay a reasonable amount of money for it, or the CD version when it comes out, to make a V0 rip of it for iPod.
I have to say the first listen left me a little cold but a few more listens and you start to find that hook into it. The last Thom York album, Eraiser, was the same for me.