KID A

OK Computer proved that Radiohead was closer to the edge than anyone thought possible. The next logical step for them was to dive off head first.

And then there was Kid A. Never were such dark emotions and ideas explored in such a compelling (and strangely accessible) way in this the band's inarguable masterpiece. Thom Yorke can break your heart and save your soul with his eerie, sometimes painful lyrics, swelling over the moody and subtly dynamic instrumentation.

And what instrumentation it is! Theremin and violent horn stabs crash together with the indomitable bass-line in "The National Anthem" until the massive conclusion settles down into a film-noir-esque fade-out. Yorke's voice soars along with swelling orchestrations during the climax of "How to Disappear Completely", taking the listener along for an epic ride. By contrast, "Idioteque" drifts along on a slightly frantic electronic beat while Yorke drones schizophrenically about apocalypse and ruin. The overall tone of the album is set by forays into delightfully haunting sonic experimentation.

Kid A is highly recommended. Never has a nightmare sounded sweeter.