Review Summary: Thom sings about cold, sadness, and bombs. Read my review below
Loneliness is key to understand A Moon Shaped Pool. We make friends, make out, make choices. Radiohead make new choices in 2016. Orchestra, synthesis, jingles. I was afraid to listen to new album because I think, what if there is no rhythm? No beats like The King of Limbs? Only Thom Yorke saying "rain drops" and similar things he does. But now we have Jonny Greenwood doing things again. Burn the Witch is awesome song with strings that don't sound like strings. But I googled it and they are actually strings.Â*
The album then sounds very different with Daydreaming. More sadness. And strings, but this time they are more epic and do the same thing as Thom's voice. "Nyaaa na na nyaaaa nya. Nyaaa na na...nyaaa nyaaa." - If you can imagine it. It has special feeling like driving on a mountain and then crashing, but not dying. Only breaking spine. Decks Dark is another sad song. People say it is about aliens but I see it is about the atomic bomb. Thom hides and covers ears but why for aliens? Must be for bombs.Â*
Next is Desert Island Disk. It's a curious song with mostly guitar and Thom. I don't like it. Then comes Ful Stop. Wow. This song is intensive. In the middle Thom say "the truth will mess you up" and I believe this. He is frightening, but it's so good because of this. After this is Glass Eyes. Surprise it is also sad. There is lots of strange piano that moves inside you and then back out. That is the feeling we all get, right? He talks about concrete faces and I think it is about himself but I'm not certain.Â*
After this is Identikit. I think it is an interesting song but has bad ideas. I don't like all the women singing "make it rain." Oh and yes there is more raindrops from Thom. Why are we not surprised is my question. I like the beat and the guitar solo at the end is interesting. Then there is The Numbers. It has jingles in the beginning and more guitar. I think this is the best song because it has all the elements of the record. Strings, Thom, and guitar. He sings about people have power. I like this idea because people do not always believe they have power but Thom says it is true so I say yes, people listen to Thom.Â*
Then we hear Present Tense. Wow. It is another sad song with acoustic guitar. I would be so angry about it happening this way again but it is so good. Thom says dances are weapons and the world "comes crashing down." I think it is about bombs again and the whole album must be about the atomic bomb because it is a real issue today. Thom knows it and people know it well too. After that it is Tinker Tailor... it is a long title that does not need to be written again. The song also has lots of strings but this time more synthesis. I like the sound. It is cold I think. Most like the art of the album. This must be the song that they said "okay we need cold art."Â*
Now True Love Waits is a old song. One of their first songs if I am correct. But here it is different. Much sadder and also very cold. The themes are very true. Cold, bombs, maybe Russia. We can't be sure because this is Thom. He does not care what we say or think. He just does it. This is respect. The song has the words "just don't leave." I think it is about a romance that died though like I said, it could be about bombs or anything. We can never know the truth.
A moon shaped pool is a fantastic album. Some people might say it is too sad but they would miss the idea. The album is sad yes, but it is meaningful and true to the feelings of sadness. Thom knows what it sounds like to be the sad. And here he does sadness better than anyone in music today. The album has coldness and strings. Also some synthesis but not as much as people expect. I am curious what Thom and his friends will do next. I hope he will make the sound of happiness. We could use this in today's world of bombs.Â*
