Review Summary: Don't haunt me...
I remember when I used to be a
Radiohead fanboy. During high school, I considered the band perfect, thinking they could do nothing wrong. When
The King of Limbs came out, I immediately jumped in excitement and went to listen to the album. But something was quite not right. I listened, and listened and listened, but it didn't click. “It is impossible for
Radiohead to produce something subpar!” I thought. “Maybe it is me who doesn't get it.”
I was not the only one. Thousands of other fans were perplexed, creating conspiracy theories predicting that this was only the first part of a bigger album, taking any cryptic lyric and word from interviews to stitch out this story. We were a bunch of disappointed fans that raised our expectations too high and weren't able to cope with the fact that the band decided to release something different.
Without unrealistic expectations blocking me from seeing the album as it is, I returned to
The King of Limbs and listened to it more calmly. The first half of the record introduces the key theme that makes it different from their previous efforts: repetition.
Bloom begins with keys and drum patterns that are audible during the entire track.
Little By Little captivates with its entrancing guitar chords and unique percussion. Even though these songs feel as if tightly programmed robots were playing them, they have personality and unique qualities. On the other hand,
Morning Mr Magpie and
Feral feel cold and unappealing, missing the soul that characterizes the group.
And perhaps what is most striking is how the second half of the album feels very disconnected from the first. While the initial four tracks focus more on looping and a mechanic feel, the last four are dreamy and emotional.
Lotus Flower works as a transition and breaks the mold with a more traditional but interesting track. The muffled piano of
Codex and the accompanying voice in
Give Up The Ghost make everything seem hazy, as if a sonic wall of fog was between the listener and the music. Even
Separator, that appears to return to the repetition formula, suddenly adds playful guitars into the mix. This half has a mysterious beauty to it and shows what the band does best. I don't know what I was thinking back then because this set of songs is gorgeous.
Revisiting
The King of Limbs, and trying to dissect my fanboy thought process made me realize that expectations are capable of twisting reality. I wanted the album to be something different from what it is.
Radiohead created tracks that oozed quality and beauty, and I couldn’t even notice. After getting to know the obsessive me of the past, I realized that having realistic expectations is a great takeaway that ultimately helps to enjoy music more. After all, musicians aren't almighty gods, but people like you and me.
