KID A

Radiohead has proven several times to be one of the best bands to emerge on the pop scene in the last 20 years or so.Inside their incredible discography,Kid A stands as a precious highlight,light years away from what was heard in The Bends or Ok Computer,and subsequently Amnesiac.

Really,what we hear here is likely to be any Krautrock band's dream:a decent(much more than that actually)mixture of eletronic music and rock n' roll.The uncanny result showcases some of the most interesting and rewarding pieces of music to date probably since punk rock went mainstream(although resemblances to prog are very few).It all gets jazzy at times,but what truly draws one's attention is the eletronic spectrum of the album as a whole,with Thom Yorke's voice working as yet another effect.Most tracks follow that mood and make up to it,from the captivating opener Everything In It's Right Place,to the almost trance-like Idioteque.But what makes Kid A almost a breathing thing is what is found in between those songs:clean,sorrowfull and silent passages such as How To Disappear Completely,and the moment of reflection namedTreefingers,all make up to the album's sad and lonely spirit.

It's a wonder how Radiohead managed to do such an inspired and expressive album,that many times seems to take a life of it's own,when everything else in current pop music sounds generic and uninspired.It's reflective,almost depressing mood is as far away from Ok Computer as the band could possibly head,and will not please everyone(and it's hard to tell just who's going to like it,really).However if you do get what this album is about,it all becomes a rewarding(possibly disturbing)experience likely to be remembered and revisited for years.For significance and musicianship alone,this one would be an undisputed 5 star record.It's remote and sparse prog references force me down to a 4,though.Being as it is,the 21st century has witnessed dangerously few masterpieces in the league of Kid A.

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