KID A

This album shocked me a bit. Almost nothing like OK Computer, and unexpectedly ambient. But it is terrific dark ambient.

Everything is in it's right place is dark and creepy, with the clipped vocal pieces, and almost avantgarde sound. With synths spread throughout. And it is a magnificent start to the album. Yorke's high register vocals smoothly going along with the dark trippy electronic rhythms. The title track floats in with its hypnotic atmospherics and processed vocals to craft a warm, yet cold feel. with the almost danceable drum beats, this makes for a very awkward first listen. The entire album will probably give off such a vibe. So, for those uninitiated to the world of ambient, you will probably be taken aback with the first listen.

The National album keeps up with the dark, yet poppy electronic dance sound. Throbbing bass line mixed with funky drumming and the post-rock ambient build up of synths and sounds that overwhelm at times. Seeming to burn the book of standard rock music, the songs at times build up with crunchy overwhelming Wagnerian walls. How To Disappear Completely, is next, and features a sound that reminds me of Pink Floyd's Echoes at times. It is very soft and melancholic. It is an emotional peak for the album. Quite possibly my favorite song on it. This could easily go for post rock, instead of crossover. Treefingers is smooth and light ambiance, While optimistic takes a warm break from the bleak overall sound.

In Limbo returns to the dark Wagnerian dance beat that the album is steeped in. Followed by Idioteque. Idioteque opens with a head jarring thud dance beat. But when the eerie synth swells come in, this song reveals itself to be electronic bleak music at its peak. Yorke's vocals are creepy, and add so much cold texture. The lyrics are bleak, but vocals are used almost as an instrument in the vein of synths. Morning bell comes after, and features a hooking drum beat with heartless synths that rip your heart out, along with the smooth and high vocals that fit so well with the music.

The last song is Motion Picture Soundtrack. Starting off with an organ sound, that along with the rest of the album, is dark and melancholic. Then building into a full bodied and warmth that shoots itself close to you, and fills your mind with a deep sense of closure. it is a wonderful finish, and possibly my favorite song on here, along with How To Disappear.

I can give this album 4 full stars, not only for the darkness it brings forth, but for them to do so in such a strange and ambient fashion. This is experimental, it is dark, it is brooding, and it is pretty. Highly recommended, even for those who aren't fans of Radiohead.

**** somethings

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