HAIL TO THE THIEF

The only reason I would refrain from rating this as 5 stars is that this isn't considered progressive rock. To me, that is a broad definition, and if something comes close, who the hell cares? If you want ignore an entire creative work becuase of a definition, that just seems silly to me. But regarding its "progressiveness," listen to the first track- in 4 minutes it puts forth 4 developing themes, the last and explosion of sound and emotion. Anyways, I'm glad Radiohead was added because I bothered to actually listen to this album, and right now I'm absolutely cuaght up in its addictive qualities and emotional impact. There is no reason to review it song by song, because that is just an analysis of the technical and compositional abilities of the band. They are certainly there, becuase nearly every track is incredibly intricate and appropriate. Some of the music presented is absolutely beautiful, and contrastingly, some is hiedously melancholic. Many times, it is alluring, appealing, scary, restrained, and ethereal. Ethereal happens several times, due to the amaizng soundscapes the band creates with electronic effects. Most importantly, to me, is the thoguht and emotion in this album. Much of it is apparent in Thom Yorke's vocals, which are incredibly expressive, but they only work so well with such well composed supporting music. In fact, many times his vocals are suppressed by the music, a style that I love because it puts the vocals on the same level as the insturments. Nearly everysong gives me a reaction, just like nearly every song gets caught in my head. I need to read the lyrics where I can delve into the content more, but I think without that there is still a great connection to be had with this album. Right now, I just can't stop listening to it. I really urge anyone to drop their bias and just try their music out, because it is truly outstanding.