Radiohead's, latest album,
The King of Limbs, takes an eerie and darker course from their last album,
In Rainbows. As is common with most of their discography, Radiohead's albums require multiple listens before you can truly absorb and appreciate their true brilliance. Many fans and critics instantly loved 1997's
OK Computer, despite that record being a departure of sound that people had grown accustomed to with
The Bends. Then again,
The Bends was a departure of sound from Radiohead's debut,
Pablo Honey. There were songs on
OK Computer that I enjoyed immediately and others that took a while to sink in. Much like the experimentation of
Kid A and
Amnesiac, there are many subtle, new, and different sounds on
The King of Limbs that will certainly demand a listener to totally immerse themselves in the short, 37 minute and moody journey that this album is.
Upon my first listen of
The King of Limbs, I was rushed and impatient, wanting it to sound a certain way. It just wasn't meeting my anticipated expectations. This is not an album you put on for background noise while cooking dinner. This is an album that you must pay attention to and take time out of your day to actually digest.
After repeated listening to
The King of Limbs several times in its entirety, I have come to the conclusion that Radiohead is once again challenging the way we (the listener) relate to music. Much of the hype that surrounded their last album was the delivery method, as fans were able to pay what they thought was fair to download
In Rainbows from the band's website. This album ends so soon that it makes me wonder if this is only a prelude to something bigger. Whatever the case, it's a daunting task to review an album that changes on repeated listens and evokes different emotions each time , which proves how and why Radiohead remain one of the most relevant bands on the planet.
Showbiz Kids Rating: 7.8 out of possible 10
