THE KING OF LIMBS

Well, when I first sat down and listened to The King of Limbs, I was pissed, and honestly really hated it. In Rainbows was such a breath of fresh air after the so-so Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief. I had thought that they had their moment of experimentation and were back on the rails. After 4 years of waiting, suddenly here it is, and it felt like more of the same (or so I thought). But then I listened to it again, and Codex really got my attention, to the point that it was giving me goosebumps. Next song to really impress me was Little by Little with this crazy, wild beat that screams intrigue. Lotus Flower was the first that I heard and although kinda standard, I really do like it. Bloom is quirky and unique. I rejected Feral upon first listen but now I am enjoying it. Give up the Ghost is really growing on me as well. The album kind of fizzles out with separator which is a little weak, but suspicions run high that the lyric "if you think this is over, then you are wrong" may be more then just a lyric and we may be on verge of our first double Radiohead album. Could separator turn out to be a literal separator? If so, I say bring it on. Well, Within just 3 days I listened to it 4 times and find something new every time, so yes I am finally very satisfied with this album. It just took time to grow on me. So the visceral reaction was hatred and disappointment and now I listen to it almost once a day and can not for the life of me get these damn songs out of my head. Bloom is in my head right now. There is no other band that can evoke these kinds of emotions in me. This band really cannot be defined. '

UPDATE- now that it has been declared that there will be no TKOL part 2, this album can suck it. Its bland, boring, short, generic and doesn't stand on its own. I enjoy it, but wouldn't call it a Radiohead album. Its just a whatever album. I thought they were finally back after the very decent In Rainbows, but I was wrong.

First off, I would like to say that I do not believe that what has been released so far is the entire KING OF LIMBS album. I'll go into greater detail about that at the end of my review. However, as no one had yet written a review for Radiohead's new album, and I knew how helpful a written review on this site is, I'll give the lowdown on this seemingly unfinished work.

THE KING OF LIMBS is: - Accessible (An evil word on this site :P) - Short - A very typical Radiohead sound - Moody and low-key, with an major emphasis on drums and bass. -Slowly appealing

It is not: - A masterpiece - Aggressive, or even emotional. - The Radiohead album that was expected

THE KING OF LIMBS contains eight tracks that focus mostly on Phil Selway's electro drumming and Colin Greenwood's jagged bass lines. The electronic influences of Radiohead are once again apparent, especially on 'Feral' and the opening track 'Bloom'.

'Morning Mr. Magpie', 'Little by Little' and 'Separator' show the more downbeat funky sound of IN RAINBOWS tracks like 'Reckoner', but don't actually build to anything. In fact, the entire album never seems to get above a sort of soft drone.

'Lotus Flower' and 'Codex' stand out the most on the album, the former being a great example of this album's abilty to get in your head.

In sum, TKOL seems like a rehash of the softer songs on IN RAINBOWS. A friend told me it sounded like 'an album of Weird Fishes'. And though more of the same Radiohead is still far greater than many could imagine, it seems like a blip compared to their other mammoth albums of similar length. And this is why many people are becoming suspcious of TKOL's short length and tame sound... with the release of the physical copy still looming, is there more to this album than meets the eye?

It's true that in the PA schism around Radiohead, I'm firmly in the fanboy camp. It's because Radiohead never sits still, and their music - which can sound very dreary and simple to newcomers - hides a frenetic passion. The 'Head's previous album IN RAINBOWS is a good demonstration of this, and I think strikes the best balance between the band's many established sounds.

The other reason I believe Radiohead to be progressive is that they are not afraid to play with their fanbase, and, to an extent, troll them. I am beginning to think that what the world has recieved of TKOL only makes up one disc of a multiple disc album.

However, I can't let a theory affect my review, so I rate TKOL 3 stars for being chill and groovy but ultimately coming up too short and too generic.

'The King Of Limbs' - Radiohead (7/10)

With a band that's enjoyed renewed success for as long as Radiohead, change is the key element to keep listeners coming back for more. While some like fellow Englishmen Genesis took their sound in an increasingly accessible and poppy direction as times changed, this once-grungy group has been brave enough to push their envelope forward. always taking risks to keep their sound fresh. While any less devoted fanbase would have laughed Radiohead into obscurity as soon as their music started wandering into the truly experimental, the surge of excitement for this new album- 2011's 'The King Of Limbs'- quickly proves that the band's popularity has only grown with these changes. With this latest, eighth full-length release in the band's discography, Radiohead once again makes it very clear that while popular, they are far from the mainstream, offering what could be said to be their strangest sounds yet. While it's clear from the first spin onwards that 'The King Of Limbs' might not amount to their golden work at the turn of the millennium, it is an uncompromising listen that begs several listens to really soak up the complex and off- center ideas Radiohead has crafted here.

Developing upon the sound the band dabbled with four years ago with 'In Rainbows', there is a greater lean towards experimental electronics and less actual rock elements than perhaps ever before. In fact, lead guitars can only be heard on a handful of tracks! As a rule, the music is driven by Colin Greenwood's eclectic bass grooves, synthesized drum loops and the signature vocal style of singer Thom Yorke. While the set-up here may be simple, 'Bloom' quickly puts the record straight; the swing of the drum patterns is layered over with off-time electronic tones, and upright bass work that sounds like it could have been a perfect fill-in to play with Miles Davis. While the music's atypical combinations of sounds and experimental attitude are easily enough to keep a listener interested, the vocals of Yorke lack the sort of profound melodies that made earlier work such a hit, on this opening track, and many of the other stranger tracks here.

The single 'Lotus Flower' is a fitting single for the album; as the first taste many listeners will have gotten of this album, it hints at the direction, generally solemn mood of the music, but all the while fusing the formula with some beautiful melodic work from Yorke, and a generally more conventional approach than what's on the rest of the album. A tight, simple yet effective bassline with the drum loops makes this a track very representative of the album, but also feels tied into some of the earlier experimental works Radiohead has composed before; most notably 'In Rainbows' and 'Kid A'.

My personal favourite here, is also ironically the most conventional and down-to-earth song that 'The King Of Limbs' can offer; 'Codex', a drone of a piano hymn that features some emotive singing with a simple piano arrangement. Of course, leave it to Radiohead to develop a simple piano song into a more complex piece as it plays on; majestic horns and symphonic flourishes craft a soundscape worthy of a film score. Certainly one of the most beautiful things I've heard the band do thus far.

One gripe the album contends with is the production itself. With such a heavy emphasis on atonal electronics and beats, it can certainly feel like the more human aspects of the music get drowned out by the robotic percussion. While it can work for the most experimental moments of the album, the constant barrage of synthesized beats can overpower the more intricate sections. While always also a risk in experimental music, there is also a feeling that some of the audio effects Radiohead employs here go a tad too far; particularly their loops and modification of vocals.

While there are enough flaws here to rob it of a masterpiece status in my eyes, Radiohead took enough risks with their art here to make an album that should raise quite a few eyebrows over its somewhat brief, yet engaging listen. However, although it may not be as much of a new development from 'In Rainbows' as it could have been, 'The King Of Limbs' is sure to be an album that finds the rare medium of innovation and popular appeal. Especially in a day and age where 'good music' and 'mainstream' are considered polar opposites from each other, it is a precious thing indeed.

After a short climax, Radiohead send to us the interesting "King of the Limbs". The album can be a little disappointing for the people who expect a work in the line of "In Rainbowns", because this time the english band brings their highly experimental sonority with some recycled elements from "Kid A/Amnesiac".

Here, we can listen a elegant blend of modernized krautrock, Miles Davis´ Fusion, minimal music, eletronic interplays (something from Aphex Twin), World Music percussion and more... Always eclipsed by a numb psychedelic atmosphere.

Unfortunately, "King of the Limbs" has some "pop" elements, like the band´s previous works. These dispensable moments can be heard in the "pasty" "Lotus Flower" or in "Seperator".

Besides these little problems, we can listen some really good moments, like in the agressives experiments of "Bloom", with electronic drones, floating vocal lines and splendid contrast between the asynchronous drums and the bass. These instrumental textures are marvelous, sounding a little less introspective than the early moments.

A very positive point: Radiohead looks more resolved and solid in his compositions, without sounds less "paranoid" or schizophrenic.

The CD has too some mellow tracks, like "Codex" (with a strong use of wind instruments) and the fantastic "Give Up the Ghosts", with birds sampling, spectral voices and fluid melody. But, the real highlights are the already mentioned "Bloom", "Little By Little" (that includes even the Brazilin rhythm "Baião") and "Feral", a powerful track with challenging rhythmic.

A good effort, without radical musical innovations (that are seen in "Kid A", for exemple), that should appeal to anyone that seeks for good and modern music. If you want to experience Radiohead, "King of The Limbs" may be a good starting point.

The latest installment of Radiohead's cannon has proven to be a solid effort worthy of a good listening session. Like many other bands they seemed to have carved out and refined their style to the point where they can simply belt out a typical 'Radiohead' release every so often to reimburse their cauffers. What I mean by this is simply that when listening to this work it would be hard to distinguish which album the songs are from; you can hear a little bit of 'Kid A' a little 'Amnesiac', and other albums as well.

Essentially they have not progressed too far from earlier works but the songs themselves are enjoyable. Oddly enough, I had found their earlier works hard to 'learn', often having to listen to the music for several weeks before it gripped me (at which point the music would become intoxicating and highly addictive). With this album there was literally no such time required to absorb the music, i.e. it is instantly accessible. So if you're comfortable with Radiohead's 'sound', this work will not be disappointment but the rewards will be limiting as their is very little evidence of musical exploration nor progression.

Overall, the rating system states it all: the album is good, but non-essential.

After witnessing the reaction this album has elicited from all manner of music publications, I have never been more convinced of the mass public's inability to understand Radiohead. If you're still cornering the debate into whether or not Radiohead have gone "electronic", you're late to the party (Even a decade ago, that was an oversimplification of Radiohead's progression.) More than ever, that argument are irrelevant here, and as the band themselves have indicated, they're on a big move; both musically and distributively. Yes, it's become quite clear that there's going to be more of this release. Maybe quite a bit more.

But, regardless of how this album evolves over time, these eight tracks are to be considered together.

Well to be blunt, here is a collection of songs so proficiently and confidently crafted, it simply boggles the mind. The band has been together, with their producer, for nearly 20 years. That's triple the time Genesis was around. (The real Genesis.)

Radiohead generally carry bits and pieces from their previous work with them forever. Somehow, somewhere in the mix, this is the same band that made The Bends, (as well as all of their albums) It's just that so many layers have been added, it's nearly vanished beneath the symphonic, avant-garde, percussive, ambient jazz group that emerged at the turn of the century. So it's always interesting to see what they retain, as well as what they abandon.

The most evident departure is from the compulsion they've indulged since their first hit single. You know, the compulsion to crescendo each song to a breaking point, a massive blissful place where all the sonic elements converge.

Yeah, that's gone. (Sort of.)

This is the least anthemic album they've ever made.

Instead we have sonic weaving over the most propulsive and complicated rhythmic structures they've ever produced. The band retains the sense of freedom and confidence of In Rainbows, as well as that albums impression that each song was really being played by the members of the group, in real time. Especially Phil Selway, who may now finally be regarded as the best drummer since Phil Collins finale on Cinema Show.

But, in the end, apart from all of the distant, beautiful, rapturous sounds you'll be hearing,(If you listen) the bottom line here is the almost spiritual emotional effect this album will have on people, just as each of Radiohead album has thus far. This is the band wandering into nature, and contemplating our place within it. There is amazing naturalistic beauty here: allusions to tribal dances, birds, the moon, pools of water, and flowers. Thom has graduated another vocal level (as has the rest of the group) providing delicate and powerful vocals. The other pillar of the group, one Johnny Greenwood, has become a specter, no doubt responsible for the numerous orchestral moments found here.

Above all else, this is something to be cherished, and I implore you, if you are amongst those people who simple hate anything Radiohead related, or if you were somehow inclined to be disappointed by this album, keep listening. It's full of treasure to reward you. Join us!

Despite the 3-star rating I'm giving this album (3 and a half, really), it is IMO more interesting than IN RAINBOWS, which I felt was very good but over-rated (and not nearly as interesting as Thom Yorke's solo release, THE ERASER). I'm a huge Radiohead fan, and consider OK COMPUTER and KID A/AMNESIAC to be the apex of their career. Since then, they've continued to make very good albums, each album containing some masterpieces (HAIL TO THE THIEF has a bunch, IN RAINBOWS has far fewer, IMO, although "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" has to be one of their greatest songs). However, I don't believe they've made a great *album* since those releases.

While most seem to wish Radiohead would go back to being a guitar band, I find their electronic work to be much more compelling, and must more forward-thinking. IN RAINBOWS was embraced as a semi-return to the rock format, and perhaps that's one reason why I found it less interesting than THE ERASER. Radiohead's newest album, KING OF LIMBS, finds them entering the world of dubstep, and the results are pretty interesting. Now, this is by no means a supreme masterpiece along the lines of Burial's UNTRUE, but it's a nice direction for Radiohead to explore.

As much as I keep hoping, I'm not sure the future belongs to Radiohead anymore. They articulated their vision in a way that only the greatest bands get to do. In a way, their successive albums are extensions of this vision, adding to the oeuvre, so to speak. But it's unfair to expect anything more than that. One day, all of it will be considered important.

If you're already a Radiohead fan, then you will get this album, and will find reasons to love it. If you're not a fan, you probably won't get this one. If you want to know what dubstep, start out with Burial's UNTRUE, which many prog-lovers I suspect would absolutely love.

Firstly, let's make one thing clear - I'm not a Radiohead fan(atic) - they inspire a kind of mad devotion along the lines of the equally deranged Dr Who-ists (or Trekkies for our American friends) that I just don't get. I like the band sometimes, that's it.

In my humble opinion OK Computer, if not in my all time top 10 albums, is certainly in the the top 20. It had everything- tunes, rock, vast swathes of emotion, weirdness, roll, the kitchen sink. Since then - jeez was it really 13 years ago?! - they've gone all experimental and, dare I say it self-indulgent, and with the largely failed noodlings present on Kid A and Amnesiac they have shown themselves to be ambitious certainly, but maybe lacking in the chops to carry it off. To make truly inspiring experimental music you have to have either an intuitive musical genius, or be highly technically proficient, or in very rare cases both. Look no further than the unsurpassable Can of the 1970s for that elusive mixture.

Radiohead returned from the brink with a couple of decent if underwhelming albums in Hail To The Thief and then the "controversial" In Rainbows. Both had their moments but have not been returned to that often in chez moi. An obsession with Aphex Twin style rhythm tracks persists to this day, and the new album suffers for it. Does Phil Selway still own a drum kit?

Opener Bloom sets the scene for the album and exists as in an eerie abstract soundscape that will come to define the album. It's the kind of thing Elbow might come up with, but with an Afro beat twist. "Open your mouth wide" intones Thom, "Don't blow your mind with why" - a noble sentiment. There's some nice instrumentation on this track and although it never gets beyond a kind of loud ambience it's probably the most in-yer-face thing here.

The second track Morning Mr Magpie is dominated by the kind of Richard D James ants-in yer-pants rhythmic wibbling that I can find irritating, but this does actually bubble along quite nicely. Little By Little actually has guitars as dominant instrument, but don't get carried away, it's only in an idling along fashion, with a bit of syncopation that never really gets out of second gear. Lyrically this is a typical Thom-doom piece, right on down to "The pit of my soul". The track threatens to break out but never does, in fact the whole album so far has built on layers of increasing tension, leading one to expect that the next number will release some of this angst, but of course it doesn't! The instrumental Feral features the most Aphex Twin-like jiggling about so far, and is bloody annoying to these ears. You realise by now that there will likely be no uplifting anthemic moments to be had on this album, not that that is necessarily a bad thing.

Lotus Flower features yet more Afro-Melt rhythms and has an accompanying video of Thom throwing shapes which is actually more interesting than the song in my opinion. Next up are the two best songs on the album. Codex is a simple but gorgeous piano led Thom piece of soul bearing that works really well, it brings a sigh from the listener as the previous tension is dispelled, but not in the manner you might expect or maybe are nostalgic for. Following this is the beautiful Give Up Ghost with the mantra "Don't haunt me" repeated over the main lyric and some nu-folk strumming. The tension now completely dissipated, the album closes with Separator, Thom reckons "It's like I'm falling out of bed from a long, weary dream" and the music sounds like the outpourings of a group on a collective comedown.

If you forget the Radiohead of 10 or more years ago and accept that this is what they sound like NOW, then it's not a bad album. Despite the occasionally annoying over reliance on electronic wibbling, it's ok, but not OK Computer! It's no way a case of instant gratification, but it's definitely a grower.

Please listen to this more than once. Do not disregard this album upon first listen! Just because Radiohead like Tool our commerically successful doesn't mean they're a terrible band. It's a sin that OK Computer is as low as it is like the rest of the albums. Unlike a majority of the "prog" bands in this website, Radiohead is actually constantly trying to evolve, experiment, push-the-boundaries... etc... the first half of King of Limbs resembles Thom Yorke's "The Eraser" while the other half resembles a mesh of In Rainbows, Amnesiac, Kid A, and Hail to the Thief. Expect to be disappointed at first. It didn't kick in until later for me. (Not the biggest fan of The Eraser)

It's hard to believe that it's been 18 years since Radiohead released their debut album, Pablo Honey. It's even harder to believe that after such a long and successful career (artistically and commercially), Radiohead is still pushing boundaries in 2011. Although most bands who've endured this amount of success may resort to "selling out", Radiohead has created an album possibly more experimental and adventurous than anything they've one before. The King of Limbs shows almost no traces of the grunge-tinged alternative rock that Radiohead became known for, but instead favors an experimental electronic sound that could easily alienate their initial fanbase. This can be a difficult album to get into, but multiple spins have revealed The King of Limbs as one of the band's finest achievements. People who have considered the words "mainstream" and "crap" synonymous may want to reinvest in these British veterans; they've cooked up something truly impressive this time around.

The King of Limbs is a very unique album - I can't say I've ever heard anything like it before. At this point, I hesitate in even calling Radiohead a "rock" act anymore. The majority of the album's 37 minute playing time is dominated by hypnotic electronic beats, Thom Yorke's melancholic vocals, and atmospheric soundscapes. If that doesn't sound like something you'd be interested in, you're probably right. This is an unconventional and very experimental work of art that will take many listens to "sink in", and even then it may be difficult to appreciate. Once The King of Limbs "clicked" with me, I was immediately captured by the immersive and trance-like atmosphere that Radiohead has created here. This album is rather short (clocking in just under 38 minutes), and should be experienced as one long journey. Although there is no formal concept here that I'm aware of, this is certainly not a song-based album. For that reason alone, picking any highlight here is difficult. From the subtle opening of "Bloom" to the final note of "Seperator", the listener is transported to a dream-like state that's best experienced with a nice set of headphones and a dark room.

As we're used to from Radiohead, the technical aspects of The King of Limbs are phenomenal. Of course, the musicianship is excellent across the board, especially Thom Yorke's fantastic vocal delivery. There isn't much technical prowess here (obviously), but the atmosphere that all five musicians have formulated is equally, if not more, impressive. The production is sonically impressive and also helps convey all of Radiohead's emotion without ever skipping a beat. The crystal-clear sound is an integral part of the album - I don't think The King of Limbs would've been worth hearing without Nigel Godrich's top-notch production.

All in all, Radiohead has really blown me away with The King of Limbs. I seldom hear an album so beautiful in today's pathetic mainstream rock scene, so acts like Radiohead are certainly precious. Whether you prefer the band's alternative rock days or their modern experimental efforts, there's no denying that The King of Limbs is an excellent album that all fans should take a listen to. This is one of my favorite Radiohead albums, so a 4 star rating is fully justified. Great mainstream albums aren't too numerous anymore - that's even more reason to savor this experimental masterwork.

A worthy follow up to the sophisticated In Rainbows release. The King Of Limbs continues in the direction of heavily bass lead song structure overlaying lighter jazzy electronica with almost near perfect vocals from Yorke. A couple of their recent albums do tend to have the habit of songs nagging your subconscious for days, such is the indellible mark they make from a melodic point of view. I cannot work out if that is a good or bad effect.

The album ironically is more of a single pastoral result and in this reviewers opinion the analysis of individual songs become irrelevant other than to focus on a few highlight tracks. It is the mood evoked from TKOL's that has more relevance. An exstension to In Rainbows but conitinued minimalist songs evoke a watery, emotional and exquisite piece of music. As stated the lyrics are keen and hit home, just listen to the jewel of the album " Codex" and with Yorke starting off with the very so clever lines..." Sleight of hand....". " The Lotus Flower" conveys what almost any passionate music lover feels like doing when demonstrating every intricate note and nuance of a song in a dance routine......just check out Radiohead's video of Yorke's hypnotic dance routine. The video becomes more powerful as the your relationship with the song grows. Genius stuff! Other highlights are the trippy " Morning Mr.Magpie" and " Feral". Much crtiticism has been laid on the album as being too short. Give me 35 minutes of quality anyday to 75 minutes of overplaying, overproducing and awful bonus tracks.

A sure winner, Radiohead continue their fascinating journey where I am sure their studio artistry will far outweigh a tour or gig. Their strength lies now in appreciating their aural 'canvass' IMO as opposed to thrashing some angst out on stage. Another very mature work and an excellent experience. Four solid stars.

I'm a huge Radiohead fan, I always have been, always will be. But I couldn't help hesitating when I heard a new album was going to come out very soon, without any sort of anticipation for the fans. And I was a little let down, even though I must admit that I really enjoyed this album, a lot more than I expected.

Things have changed musically. With "The King Of Limbs" Radiohead go a step forward for experimenting with loops, electronics, beats, something they started doing back in the year 2000 when "Kid A" came out, but it has been an evolution of electronics ever since, the albums were more and more towards that sound; as a result, "The King Of Limbs" is most definitely the most electronic one so far. Thom Yorke's voice has never sounded so naked and fragile, probably due to the context he is in. The other instruments are put very much in the background, leaving the main sounds to the electronics. They are some songs where we can hear some guitar or piano, especially in the second part of the album, which is much less dependant on the electronics. But in the first part, they are the absolute protagonists. As usual, Yorke's lyrics are pretty abstract, enigmatic, and sometimes they don't sound like they should have a particular meaning. The album is well produced and recorded and it has a total of eight tracks put down in 37 minutes, which is relatively short for a Radiohead album; "Bloom", probably my favorite track, thanks to its unusual drum looping and dreamy electronics, "Morning Mr.Magpie" is a more cheerful song, but it has its creepy arrangements too. "Lotus Flower" is the only single released from this album, but I can't say I'm absolutely in love with it. "Codex" a beautiful piano ballad that sort of reminds of "Pyramid Song" from the album "Amnesiac". Then again we have "Give Up The Ghost", a charming and haunting acoustic song, and the more tense and robotic closer "Separator", another great chapter. I have to say though that they were moments, like the three minute "Feral", or even "Little By Little", were definitely weak points, and "The King Of Limbs" would have had an overall better rating for me.

But despite that, this new, surprising Radiohead album can really be a pleasure to listen to. I realy liked, even though I can't really see it as a loved one, which is too bad, since this is Radiohead.

I'm actually surprised at the high ratings this has been receiving but maybe I shouldn't be because this is a site for fans of challenging music.This is a tough one to get into, difficult to digest with an experimental vibe throughout. "In Rainbows" seemed to click with me quickly but not this one.This is less melodic and it's all about creating a mood with the different atmospheres. The music is very futuristic sounding as well.

"Bloom" is experimental sounding with lots of beats and pulses.Vocals join in around a minute. So much atmosphere, especially each time he stops singing. "Morning Mr Magpie" has these intricate sounds with vocals. "Little By Little" is a favourite of mine.This could be a classic for them. "Feral" has these uptempo beats with processed vocal expressions that come and go. Cool song.

"Lotus Flower" is another great sounding tune and my second favourite. "Codex" opens with piano as vocals join in before 1 1/2 minutes.Vocals stop after 3 1/2 minutes. A melancholic song if there ever was one. "Give Up The Ghost" opens with what sounds like birds chirping then vocals a beat and guitar take over. "Seperator" opens with drums as vocals and bass join in. Guitar after 2 1/2 minutes then synths around 4 minutes.

This is different that's for sure but then RADIOHEAD aren't a band who need hit singles or even need to please their fans.They make the music they want to make, and it's usually a treat to see what they've come up with next.

Oh boy, how the mighty have fallen. This is the new Radiohead album? 37 minutes of songs that would have been filler on earlier albums? This sounds more Amnesiac than Hail or Rainbows; more 2001 than 2011. Almost sounds like a Thom Yorke solo album more than a group effort. This is clearly their worst album since Pablo Honey. You should have paid for your download of In Rainbows, but this should be free...and come with a digital apology. Since In Rainbows the band has released some non-album songs that were good ("These Are My Twisted Words" for example). So why not include them or better yet, why is nothing on the album as good as those songs? When "Lotus Flower" is the best song on you're new album, you know you're in trouble.

"Lotus Flower" is not only the best thing here but also the first (only?) single/video from King Of Limbs. Still, it's nothing special. "Little By Little" is the next best song. Nice mix of acoustic guitars and drum machine programming. The vocal melodies here are good. "Codex" is a nice atmospheric ballad. Third best song. I like the modified piano sounds here. Thom does some good singing in this song. "Give Up The Ghost" has folky/country style acoustic guitar playing, including hitting the body of the guitar with the hand. Cool overdubbed Thoms doing harmony back-up vocals. Another cool overdubbed Thom whose voice is so altered he sounds like a cello or horn. The least electronic sounding song on the album. "Seperator" reminds me of other songs, some by Radiohead and others not. There is a guitar part here which reminds me of a Scorpions ballad from the 1970s.

I would consider myself a Radiohead fan ( I got Pablo Honey when it was their *only* album), but if they keep releasing sub-par crap like this, that may change. There has to be a reason why they released this mediocre album instead of something better...these guys are too clever. This is for completists although not a horrible album. 2 stars.

Once again, Radiohead decided to release an album with a minimum of lead warning (reducing the lag from weeks to days), and once again, they initially offered the album in mp3 form before the CD release (avoiding the name-your-price practice of In Rainbows, though). It shares something else in common with In Rainbows as well: the feeling that the band is absolutely, 100% in the "coasting" part of its career, and that the chances of the band producing any more material that feels essential are close to none.

What's especially fascinating to me is how much better In Rainbows sounds right after a listen to this album. There was a big todo in leadup to this album about how the band wasn't about making full albums again as they'd done them before, but this isn't an EP, and while this may only be 37 minutes, In Rainbows was only 42. In Rainbows might have been the ultimate Radiohead-by-numbers album, but it still felt finished and polished and was only disappointing in relation to my own sense that they should have been reaching higher. If the difference between In Rainbows and this isn't so much the length, then do comments made by Yorke and others about not wanting to make another album "like that" tacitly amount to an admission of not bothering to finish and polish the songs they were working on? Does it mean not caring about creating an album flow that makes sense? Maybe that's not what was meant at all, but it sure feels that way a lot of the time in listening to this.

After more than a few listens, I like this album enough to give it an above average grade, but it took a whole lot of effort to get there. This is a much more confused feeling album than even, say, Amnesiac, yet it manages to be a good deal more boring than that album as well (which is a shame, because an album more confused than Amnesiac should be bizarre enough to work off that alone). The tracks tend to have interesting (if very familiar in spots) ideas, but the ideas don't always work together to make the track better, and the tracks don't work together to make the album better. And yet, when I look at the track listing, I can't think of a track on here that I come close to actively disliking or that I'd ever skip. After all, "Bloom" does have that haunting synth bloop covering and that drum loop, and Yorke's vocal part is atmospheric (though I don't know to what end). "Morning Mr. Magpie" has that up-tempo skittish guitar part and a pleasantly warm chorus (nice enough that it's probably my favorite of the album). "Little by Little" does have all of those familiar elements in the guitars and production that probably could have made it fit on Hail to the Thief (and no, the lyrics don't bother me; if you were ever dependent on Radiohead lyrics for life meaning, you deserve what you get from "I'm such a tease and you're such a flirt"). "Feral" does have that decent drum loop and some well-crafted synthesized vocal processing. "Lotus Flower," well, has lots of elements you'd want and expect to hear in a Radiohead track. "Codex" does have some haunting echoey piano (a la "Videotape" and others) that makes for nice atmosphere. "Give up the Ghost" does have a fascinating vibe thanks to Thom's repeated "don't hurt me" backing vocal part and the lulling acoustic lines under the standard instrumentation. And "Separator" is fairly uplifting when Thom is singing, "Wake me up, wake me up."

As you can see, I just namechecked all eight of the album's tracks, and found something positive about all of them. The problem is that only about half of them could even approach the possibility of entering the second tier of the band's material (and even then it's debatable), and they don't work in aggregate in a way that would elevate all of them. There's just nothing necessary about this album, and when even a maddening album like In Rainbows could seem necessary just because of how good the material was despite itself, that makes this all the more frustrating. If I were more of a fan and more in love with the band's sound, I could probably find more enjoyment in this album than I do, but because Radiohead has always been somewhat on the outside looking in with my tastes, this is an irritating development more than anything. It's really far from a bad album, and it's not even a mediocre album, but meticulous craftsmanship of this kind of sound can't really win me over.

Thom Yorke is a nihilist. He finds no rational meaning in living and all this struggling. His biggest passion is music, though he loves every form of art. He loves Pink Floyd, Joy Division, Talking Heads. He gets so much inspiration from rock music. So he forms a Brit-pop band. They release "Pablo Honey" and "The Bends". They become the next big thing. In this period of time, Thom Yorke and the guys are always discovering new arts and music to widen up their inspiration and their music. Radiohead had always been a band that cares a lot about production of an album. With the help of great production, they achieve this classic album, "OK Computer". It's an album to stand the test of time easily to become a timeless state of art. But Radiohead is a band to challenge their music and creativity. They show this to everyone by recording "Kid A" and "Amnesiac". They continue with "Hail to the Thief" and "In Rainbows", as most of them start having families of their own and being grown-ups rather to being selfish weird life-forms called rock stars.

Radiohead is one of the most popular rock bands of today. There is this massive fan base, which Radiohead will never be able to fulfil their expectations. They're not meaning to anyway. They are just doing their thing, ignoring the fans screaming through their windows, "Give us another OK Computer!" People listen to them with laptop speakers and still expect a wonderful journey. That's not a surprise that most of the mainstream fans don't like this album. And most of Radiohead's fans are the mainstream fans. So globally, it's easy to say this album is tried to be murdered by the MP3 generation. What some fans are not seeing is there are so many to hear on this album, we're talking about minimalist melodies building and building up. You need quality earphones, and at least 320 kbps MP3's to enjoy most of the stuff on the album.

Nowadays, Thom Yorke is into a lot of electronic music, a lot of bands and music I've never heard of. He has grown a love for minimalist electronic music. Weird [&*!#]. Radiohead is still a rock band though, so these ideas are hard to put into their music. And when they do, we get this. Most of the fans don't see this album as another Radiohead masterpiece. They have given up on loving it. The situation is not so bad though. Some fans have found it very original and capturing. I feel like I'm in the middle. I've forced myself to be captured by this album, and I have managed to love the journey. But that doesn't mean it's a capturing album. It's just me, trying harder and harder. I've watched the Live from the Basement sessions 3 times. Not much surprises me anymore while listening to The King of Limbs. I believe this one will not make it to be a timeless album. And I'm not one of those who say "Radiohead should be more rock". I love Kid A from start to end. I just feel like they threw 10 stones but only 5 of them hit the spot. But that does not mean that it's a bad album, as it's definitely not.

Time to praise the album up. It seems impossible to me to handle such minimalist melodies building up in a such beautiful manner, as these guys are able to. The lyrics are "minimalist" poems, each line having only 3 or 4 words. This style is a new thing for me, therefore I'll call it totally original. I'm blown away by the fact how great musicians they are. Some people see Radiohead as a dictatorship of Thom Yorke. But I'm pretty sure that they all just agree whole heartedly that they want to make some revolutionary music, and Thom Yorke's weird ways to make music combined with the other guys like Jonny Greenwood playing his guitar and all his stuff that I can't even name in his original style, with the hypnotic powerful bass playing by Colin Greenwood, with all the back vocals and other helpful backing and with all the talent and intelligence of Ed O'Brien, with their new two drummer style creating very original and powerful rhythms is the way they want to go to create the revolutionary music that they dream of. It's true that Thom Yorke now does most of the work of Radiohead, but Radiohead wouldn't be the same without any of the other musicians' help.

Starting with the song "Bloom", "Morning Mr Magpie" and then "Feral" we witness a complex music filled with a weird form of psychedelia. While the first 4 songs sound similar to each other to my ear, that's only the first half of it. With "Lotus Flower" we remember its strangely wonderful video clip and start to dance like Thom Yorke. I didn't though. Because I'm a serious reviewer. When we start listening to "Codex" we finally reach a beautiful Thom Yorke ballad. It's a little bit different due to the album's general style, but it's really beautifully melancholic in its own way. "Give Up The Ghost" is another wonderful example of the new Thom Yorke style, lead by an acoustic guitar. With the last song "Seperator" closing up similar to the style of the first half, we finish our fairly short journey. I recommend listening to the songs that weren't included on the album but they have found their ways to be listened to. I loved "The Daily Mail" more than anything on the actual album. "The Butcher" is another killer track. "The Staircase" wouldn't sound out of place on the album.

What we hear on this album is artisticly and intellectually very successful. As I still don't think this is an effort that will be able to make history, I wish the fans would pay more attention to this hard worked journey. It's psychedelic, it's electronic, it's rock. It's a hypnotic wave of Thom Yorke's truely beautiful voice mixed with all the wonderful instrumentation.

You release a pair of albums like OK Computer and Kid A, you set up a lot of expectations for every album you release thereafter. There'll be those who were stunned by both albums, elevate you to the status of genius, and immediately assume everything else you release will also be genius. There'll be those who liked them but assume that you have now peaked and will look at everything else with a jaded eye. And there will be those who just didn't "get it" and who look to new albums to prove that the hype is empty. You greatly reduce the possibility that someone will be able to come to your music without some pre-conceived notion of how good the music will be.

Myself, I hadn't really listened to anything Radiohead released after Kid A, so I had no idea where to expect Radiohead to be at this point, ten years later. Well, they have advanced since Kid A, but stylistically, they are not very far off. Electronics remain an important part of Radioheads sound, as do the thin, fragile vocals of Thom Yorke. And honestly, from my perspective, these are good things. Kid A never impressed me as it did others, but there was a cold, sterile, clinical feel to the music that, when I was in the right mood, could floor me.

Here, we have a bit more warmth than we did on Kid A, which for me makes this album more listenable more often. There is something of an organic sound to the electronics this time, and I think that the guitar playing helps a lot as well. We are still talking music that emphasizes musical texture over melody. And there is a fragility to this music, partially because of Thom Yorke's unique singing style where at times he almost mumbles, and partially because of the music is not incredibly dense, but this fragility is countered with a solid base on the drums that creates a really interesting dynamic.

Being more approachable is good, but this album rarely reaches any high heights for me. Thom Yorke's mumbling makes some of the songs seem to lose out on their meaning; there are no great revelations here. Still, nothing bores here either.

Unsure? Check out the track Feral. It is the most perfect build up of atmosphere in this album, I think, although it is also the shortest track.

"The King of Limbs" is an onslaught of dark atmospherics with pulsating rhythms and passionate vocals.

Radiohead's "The King of Limbs" begins with an experimental piece 'Bloom', with very strange effects, looped disproportionate dynamics, weird sonic vibes and a fractured percussive signature. Yorke's vocals brings it together into a semblance of a song. His voice is as strained and laid back as ever, sounding rather melancholy or some may view it as depressed. The asymmetrical music is energetic and driving and wildly out of the box. It is alternative rock but with progressive edges. The brass sounds are very pleasant to the ear, echoing and multi layered, with an alarming friction that buzzes throughout. The looped keyboard effect is hypnotic, as is the fragmented almost irregular bassline. A wonderful start to the new Radiohead offering.

The inconsistent jagged guitar riff on 'Morning Mr Magpie' is a trance beat and once again Yorke overpowers with passionate vocals; "you stolen all, give it back, good morning Mr Magpie, how are we today?" The magpie known as a notorious thief in folklore is obviously an allegory for more serious themes such as kleptomania. The dark edges on the music are transfixing and reminiscent of the "OK Computer" days. The mixing on the album is exemplary, deep bass tones, a crystalline vocal and very powerful guitar sonics screaming over the soundscape. The band are really experimenting with vibrations and disconcerting spacey ambience.

Each track offers something unique and tends to grow on the listener over time. 'Little By Little' has a wonderful bassline, and some of Yorke's best vocals, using extreme high falsetto to perfection. The violin sounds grind over the main motif generating a powerful atmosphere.

'Feral' features another technical punching time sig, obviously processed with computer tech, and there is a psych prog feel. It is one of the weirdest song on the album due to its hypno rhtyhms and relaxed vocal approach.

'Lotus Flower' is a definitive track and already causing a stir among fans who are hailing it as one of Radiohead's all time greatest tracks. It certainly is easier to digest and has a great riff to lock onto. The music draws the listener in slowly and patiently till it hooks around your cerebral cortex and you cannot get it out of your system.

'Codex' is an ethereal piece with gentle dreamy piano and very moving vocals. It is slow and has a sad mood, but in comparison to the other techno industrial sounds heard earlier it stands out as the ballad.

'Give up the Ghost' is pure existential angst captured in Yorke's enigmatic performance and repetitive phrases. The music is almost symphonic but never easy to categorise. It goes on a bit too long for me but still has a distinct flavour.

'Separator' is another track that has become a favourite for the legion of fans. It has the broken imperfect time sig that is consistently inconsistent. The dreamy vocals float along the shifting metrical patterns. The music is almost subliminal apart from a pulsating bassline. The melody is actually quite beautiful but tinged with dark overtones.

To conclude, this is a very good release and worth listening to not just for Radiohead addicts but for the music connoisseur who prefer the alternative sound of Crossover prog. I would give it 4 stars if it were more consistent but the last few songs are not as good as the opening tracks. It seems to run out of steam and bogs down into very dreamy overkill.

There are few ways how to perceive this album - either deny it completely, for sounding totally weird (and by that I mean that it's weirder than your usual Prog, even more strange than your normal unusual Prog), completely different than their previous work. That's all fine, but then you have to ask yourself, if you're not biased against such radical change. Perhaps, but then you have to think about second way how to feel this album - to think about what is there. Yes, it's different, but that doesn't mean a good thing, when it's done in such a terrible way. I really am starting to indulge an idea that they wanted to try how much terrible stuff they can do and get away with it Then there is a third way, despite all the negatives (and negative feelings I get from listening it), to look for good things, but even "normal" songs like Codex sound too weak and also quite out of place. Then you can go and seek out perfection in the rest of these minimalistic, experimental tunes, but it won't work (for me at least).

Full disclosure: I'm not much of a Radiohead fan. In fact, just about the only time I listen to the group is when I'm in the mood for In Rainbows, or if I'm writing reviews for this website. The sound on the band's key albums doesn't resonate with me. That being said, I think that King of Limbs is actually pretty great. It sloughs off some of the "rock" baggage in Radiohead's sound that never really worked for me in favor of ambient textures, bass grooves, and a more open-ended experience that is an easier listen and seems to fit the group well.

The first half of King of Limbs strongly incorporates elements of electronica into the the band's trademark sound of guitar textures and Thom Yorke droning. "Bloom" starts us off with drum, horn, and keyboard effect samples, creating a directionless ambiance that is sophisticated and dense. The next two tracks have scattershot drumming and gentle guitar riffing that continue this electronica experimentation. Yorke uses his voice as a instrument, which I think is great because I've never cared for his lyrics or phrasing as a singer; here, he sings long sustains and tones that drift into the overall tapestry of the songs.

The second half is the stronger side; things become more subtle. The songs slow down are densely layered and emotional. "Codex" features wonderful piano work played over a gentle electronic throb and haunting vocals. Probably the highlight of the album for me. "Seperator" is a great, dreamy and optimistic feeling close to the album.

This release will probably turn off fans of Radiohead's earlier and more critically acclaimed works, but King of Limbs is, ironically, more approachable because of its gentle mood and deviation from the band's noisier art-rock offerings.

An enjoyable, moody combination of tones and sounds to drift off to.

Songwriting: 3 - Instrumental Performances: 3 - Lyrics/Vocals: 3 - Style/Emotion/Replay: 4