Radiohead- King of Limbs

Since I got into Radiohead this last year, I was hoping that they would come out with another album, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard The King of Limbs was scheduled to come out this year. One thing I have found about Radiohead is that even though every album spotlights different sounds there has yet to be any band that compares or has a similar vibe. I know Radiohead has been the inspiration for not just musicians but for movements in the music industry as well.  It is impressive to say the least. The King of Limbs is the shortest album Radiohead has ever released, at just a little over thirty seven minutes long. I know there is going to be criticism for the length but every Radiohead album can’t be the same length as In Rainbows. I think it’s a great way for the band to really strip away and look to the core of what makes their music so good. The King of Limbs definitely does that. There is some amazing musicianship going on but the sound has more depth and more soul to it. Thom Yorke’s solo album, The Eraser, has some real presence on The King of Limbs, with his vocals being a focal point for the entire album. One thing I noticed right away was the similarity to 2001 Amnesiac, especially with the track "Little by Little," which almost has the exact same bass rift as "I Might Be Wrong." It even upset me. I had to listen and see if I felt it was a actual rip from that song. When I listened to them back to back the notes seemed to be the same but the difference in pacing almost made them incomparable. My boyfriend (Who is the one who got me into Radiohead) had the album right away and was playing it all day. But since I like to do my own private listening and make notes as the album progresses, I tried not to overhear too much of it. The little bit I did hear I was not a big fan of. I even remember telling him “I just don’t know if I am going to be a fan of this album”. Right about then he left to go change the laundry and in his absence “Give Up the Ghost” came on and I knew right there that I should have known better than to think this album was not going to be gold. The King of Limbs may not be ideal for a first time Radiohead listener, but anyone who has even semi-knowledge of Radiohead’s discography will appreciate the hell out of this. After a solid listen I can honestly say that this is probably the best Radiohead album I have heard. I love the length. It just shows how much about their sound they really know. Instead of forcing out four filler tracks to appease the audience they did the best 8 tracks that they could. Sometimes less is more and that is true with The King of Limbs. This is one of the most perfect albums I have heard in a long time. If you don’t listen to this you are cheating yourself.

Final Review- 100