My Radiohead experience started when I first heard their third album ‘Ok Computer (1997)’ in 2007 and was thrilled by their theatrical sound. The same year ‘In Rainbows’ was released, I immediately fell in love with the album and started listening to all their other albums. They picture atmospheres so perfectly, that their music could take me anywhere. They continue to keep us in suspense about what comes next. I believe they write some of the most creative and intelligent music still out there.
When I first heard ‘The King Of Limbs’, I said to myself, “This is just Perfect”. Eight albums, eight songs and just over 37 minutes long (Radiohead’s shortest album). It’s definitely the most daring move. Brilliantly composed with beautiful sounds & styles, the kind of music that demands attention and is an essential album, just like any other Radiohead album. This album is probably named after the old oak tree in Savernake Forest and is equally dense and filled with amazing sounds. The way the album was recorded, has a lasting effect on the album’s overall recording and is memorable. It is short but does everything.
Opening track ‘Bloom’, a perfectly fitting way to open “The King of Limbs” is like opening your eyes early in the morning, when your day starts. The album offers percussive sounds and harmonic melodies wrapped together to create tribal, yet smooth, atmospheres of music like ‘Morning Mr. Magpie’ and ‘Little By Little’. Thom Yorke’s voice is either added by trademark Radiohead reverb or chopped to make songs like ‘Feral’. In ‘Feral’ Effects, voices & tones are brought backward and forward, and you can almost feel yourself part of the song, feeling the experience of getting through it followed by ‘Lotus Flower’ which is perfect for a single and is a beauty. Yorke’s vocals with hugalhorns and Piano on “codex” gives me chills in a way that only Radiohead can. It almost feels as if Greenwood’s work was focused less on what he could do with the guitar and more on creating soundscapes for the album. ‘Give Up The Ghost’ has gently plucked guitars and distorted backing vocal samples pleading “Don’t Hurt Me” like the faint spirit echoing. There’s the spacey, ethereal feel of the last track, “Seperator,” as Yorke’s second voice penetratingly sings “Wake Me Up”. perfect way to end the album.
For those of you who would honestly want an experience with this album, just forget what you know about Radiohead. Lay down in a quiet, dark room at night or go for a slow drive after everyone has gone to sleep and let this album wash over you again and again. With every listen, you will explore and experience something new. This album stands out and is in my list of the Top 10 Albums of All Time. ‘The King Of Limbs’ is a MASTERPIECE, just PERFECT.
