The Pelican’s Perch

*screams like a little girl*

I can hardly contain myself at the moment. To wake up with a new Radiohead album in your inbox is beyond exciting to say the least. I’ve downloaded it, made a cup of coffee, and am ready for some new Radiohead. To make things clear, this is literally my first listen through. So the following track by track review is strictly my first impressions based on one listen of the song.

Let’s do this!!!
(review after the jump)

1. 15 Step

One of the only songs off this album I’d heard before as a live version, so saying I’m eager to hear all it’s glitchy glory in a final studio version would be an understatement for sure. It drifts along for another 2 or so minutes riding the glitchy beat and smooth guitar line until about the 2:30 mark when it drops to nothing but a synth line and beats, then kids cheering and a driving bassline come out of nowhere. Love it!

2. Bodysnatchers

Well now, do I hear old school Radiohead here? The guitars riff sound very much like “Electioneering” meets “Where You End and I Begin”. If you always preferred the less experimental, driving rock sound of Radiohead from their Bends and OK Computer days, this is the song for you. I can hear three different guitar parts at the moment, Thom’s upbeat singing, a great bass line, strait-forward drums, and…wait for it…ah there’s the crazy ending I was waiting for. Man, definitely a leap into the past for Radiohead on this one.

3. Nude

This album’s ballad I’m going to guess. Very “Pyramid Song”/”Sail to the Moon” sounding. It’s almost a requirement to have at least one on a new Radiohead album. This will sound so much better later tonight as I’m falling asleep. I keep expecting a huge climax, but they kept it calm the whole time with subtle atmospheric guitar creeping in along with strings. Play this one with a girl in your arms.

4. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi

This was the song Greenwood and Yorke played with the Nazareth Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, so I’d heard it before, but don’t exactly remember it. If Pinback were ever to lend their complex intertwining guitar parts to Radiohead for a song, this may be the result. Listen for the ghostly wails around the 2:30 mark behind Thom’s singing, then the Imogen Heap sounding electronic bubbly beats around the 3:05 mark. Ha, leave it to Radiohead to be able to make us feel like we’re underwater as Yorke sings “Weird Fishes” over and over. Perfect. It teases us towards the end like it’s going to break into a big orchestra part, but never does. Great, great song.

Almost halfway through and I’m ecstatic with what I’ve heard so far. Sorry if it hasn’t been too creative to this point. I’m not exactly the best at spontaneous non-researched reviews.

5. All I Need

This is the first song I’ve paid attention to the lyrics because you’re almost forced to with Thom’s voice being so prominent over the simple sounds of bass and drums. Definitely some sad stuff he’s sining about, but the song picks up a lot around the 3:00 mark with piano, heavier drums, a Bjork like rising synth part, and Thom’s usual wailing. Pretty song that will most likely grow on me over time.

6. Faust Arp (new song, couldn’t find any live videos)

Radiohead meets the Beatles accompanied by Nick Drake string parts? What a nice little song this turned out to be. I’m not going to lie, I listened to this one twice. I just had to. At barely over two minutes, I was left wanting more the second it finished. The only shame about this beautiful song is how short it is. I enjoy the “Pyramid Song” type songs found on each album, but I’ll take more fingerpicked guitar and orchestra driven slow songs like this anyday over those.

7. Reckoner

Reminds me of “Punch Up at a Wedding”, only a little more upbeat and Yorke’s singing is almost like another instrument and is further back in the mix. I heard somewhere that this came from the Kid A/Amnesiac sessions, but that could be wrong. I was going to give it my “eh, not much to it. There’s got to be one song that’s only alright on the album” statement, but then the strings came swooping in. It’s really missing a back-up singer like Bjork or someone over Yorke’s falsetto, but the ending is nice. My least favorite song of the bunch? Possibly, but I also didn’t like “We Suck Young Blood” at first and now I love it. And the fact that this subtle and pretty little song may be the least good of the album so far is one hell of a good sign.

8. House of Cards

Oh so laid back “House of Cards” is. I picture Yorke sitting on a wooden rocking chair on the porch of an old log cabin with his guitar writing this song staring into the forest. Then, Johnny comes out all sleepy having just woke up, nods his head in approval of Thom’s little song he’s singing and out of nowhere busts out his electric and sweeping electric guitar drones fill the forest air as he stands looking at the ground, hair covering his eyes. Really reminds me of some of the slower songs from My Morning Jacket’s album Z.

9. Jigsaw Falling Into Pieces

Originally called “Open Pick”, I remember this being a fan favorite way back when. Very acoustic driven until the end when Johnny’s high pitched guitar picking is met by strings and Thom’s echoed humming. A very gentle song that reminds me of the live version of “Like Spinning Plates”, only with all guitars. I imagine I’ll notice a lot more parts as I listen to it a few more times.

10. Videotape

I actually stumbled across a few tidbits of info about this song at Rolling Stone’s site a few days ago and this song is apparently about technology in general and saying goodbye to loved ones via VHS. It’s hard to hear Thom’s lyrics, but the mechanical beat that fills the song towards the end makes me feel like the VHS tape they’re watching all their old memories on is slowly breaking apart. Such a beautiful song. I don’t know what the themes of the song are exactly, but I keep thinking of someone sitting alone in a room with a projector playing old memories of someone who has just passed away, and the tape continues to deteriorate as the memories of the person are lost as the tape slowly breaks apart and the person’s left staring at a blank screen. Really depressing, but that’s the image that comes into my mind as I hear that mechanical beat slowly get louder as the music fades away.

Overall first impression:
8/10

This album just begs to be listened to over and over. I’ve got a pretty busy afternoon planned, but I can tell you one thing, what I’ve heard in this first listen has me very excited. Of course mainly because it’s new Radiohead and I’d love it regardless, but I’m just happy to say my fears of Radiohead finally making an album I couldn’t completely stand behind are all but gone. In Rainbows delivers, and while it starts off energetic with “15 Step” and most the first half of the album, overall it’s a much more mellow album for Radiohead. That’s not a bad thing at all, I just think when I need to hear more rocking songs, I’ll probably turn to Hail to the Thief over this album and turn to this one when driving late at night or relaxing on the weekend. We’ll see. For now, I hope I gave all of you out there who, for some reason, don’t have the album an idea of what to expect. Chances are I’ll read this review in a week or so after having spent much more time with the album and end up having completely different opinions on some of the songs. I’ll just end this whole review with one statement:

In Rainbows is a great Radiohead album.

The end.

Favorite songs: 15 Step, Bodysnatchers, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, Faust Arp, Videotape

Official Site / Download In Rainbows and pay whatever you want