Those of you who know me know I like Radiohead. For months I waited for the new record, and when I downloaded it last Friday, I was initially disappointed. The weird, chaotic mix of noises and percussion at the beginning of the opening track, "Bloom", had me worried that the band had gone batty. Then I remembered that at first I thought the same thing about Kid A, Amnesiac, and Hail to the Thief. By the third listen I understood the song, and suddenly the chaos made sense. That's how this whole album is. That's Radiohead. The first four tracks are especially alienating if you don't know what Radiohead is about, but they're worth the trouble. With The King of Limbs, Radiohead seems to be not writing cohesive, traditional songs, but rather trying to translate feeling into music. Unlike previous records in which songs would often elevate in intensity and end with a powerful boom, this album is soothing and chill. It invites you to close your eyes and just let it fill you. I had high hopes for this album, and they have been, for the most part, met. I give it 3.5/4.
On my first listen to the first couple tracks, I had to move my body to the beat to understand what was going on. On the second listen, I just moved my body because I could. Phil and Colin put down some great stuff for that album.
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