KID A

A grower album. It took me a long time to get into this RADIOHEAD's piece of art, but it was worthy the challenge. This album just proves that RADIOHEAD can't be compared to bands like COLDPLAY, hence the strong direction change showed here. This isn't the same band that created "Ok Computer" or "The Bends", one would say, if it wasn't for the vocals. What we have here is the final proof that they aren't just a commercial alt-rock group who want to be loved by each single person from the mainstream audience. To have the courage of making an album like this after making the "new Dark Side of the Moon" as some people classified their last work makes me wonder how "commercial" this band is.

Kid A (a concept album about the clones' life in the future?) opens with keyboards. That's right: there's no more constant guitar based songs here. The atmospheric sound produced by the keyboards is this album's charm, and what makes it so different than their last ones. "Everything in its right place" is very trippy, Thom's vocals are softer than ever, and as some prog reviewers here mentioned, they serve more as an "instrument" than a communication resource. The title track is my least favorite here, but it doesn't make it bad. In fact, this is probably the hardest one from this album, and may sound a bit repetitive. The voice here has been electronically changed to give that extra feel, a "fly" like voice if you ask me. Next track we have a jazz section that makes the so loved PROG word more at the side of RADIOHEAD's name. This is my favorite one from here, and it somewhat reminds of KING CRIMSON (?) at the jazzy part. After the crazy jazz part and some drum beats we encounter one of the most beautiful and melancholic works by this amazing group: "How to disappear completely" is one of those songs useful to prove if you're a cold hearted carbon made being or if you have something inside and is not a robot. If you don't feel anything move you by inside when you listen to this track then i sadly declare you being the former, now if you do get touched by it and mainly in that dramatic ending with those violin sounds and Thom's heart filled vocals and aaaAaas leading to the album's emotional climax, then congrats, you are the latter. After this, the atmospheric "Treefingers" appears and segues into the almost rocker "Optimistic", where we have nice messages like "I'd really like to help man", showing a not so characteristic optimistic mood from RADIOHEAD. "In Limbo", "Morning Bell" and "Motion Picture Soundtrack" deserve to be into a group of their own. These 3 are very beautiful and emotional songs that go around the energetic "Idioteque". While those 3 get you moved inside, "Idioteque" makes you want to dance around in a techno rhythm that i once couldn't stand, although it surprisingly grew on me as the rest of this album. But this is probably the only techno i'll really care in my life. The hidden mini- track on "MPS" is very short but still beautiful, and it is worthy waiting during one minute of silence to listen to this excellent album closer.

Overall, this is a great album that won't please anyone who is not interested on reaching new musical horizons. If you don't like it at the first listens (which will be understandable) try a bit more and in some time your mind will change and then you'll appreciate one of the best musical works of the past 5 years.