Radiohead - The King Of Limbs

Rainard Jalen · 02-20-2011, 05:37 AM

Ok, this is what I'll say about the record.

1: In terms of musical devices, there IS, quite simply, no new ground here. "No" as in, none. This album could just as well have been made 5, 6, 7 years ago, and you're absolutely kidding yourself if you even attempt to claim otherwise. This record is so Radiohead, it could have been made by a bunch of highschool imitators.

2: HOWEVER... what we DO have here are 8 FANTASTIC tracks that seamlessly blend together to make a haunting and exquisite whole.

3: We also have a record that, somehow or other, captures all the anxieties and nervous uncertainties of the current times. So it's a winner in terms of relevance.

Is this a "brilliant" album? Well, what is brilliance these days? If brilliance is characterized by reference to other contemporaneous releases, then this is certainly going to be 'brilliant' compared to most releases we'll see this year. Whether it has any standalone brilliance is something I won't bother pondering...

...But since it's as good as almost anything else that'll come out over the next 10 months or so, I'll be content to call it brilliant for now.

View Poll Results: What do you think of The King Of Limbs?
Brilliant	36	21.43%
Good	69	41.07%
Average	30	17.86%
OK	12	7.14%
Poor	12	7.14%
Terrible	9	5.36%
Voters: 168. You may not vote on this poll

02-20-2011, 05:37 AM	#11 (permalink)
Rainard Jalen Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,221	Ok, this is what I'll say about the record. 1: In terms of musical devices, there IS, quite simply, no new ground here. "No" as in, none. This album could just as well have been made 5, 6, 7 years ago, and you're absolutely kidding yourself if you even attempt to claim otherwise. This record is so Radiohead, it could have been made by a bunch of highschool imitators. 2: HOWEVER... what we DO have here are 8 FANTASTIC tracks that seamlessly blend together to make a haunting and exquisite whole. 3: We also have a record that, somehow or other, captures all the anxieties and nervous uncertainties of the current times. So it's a winner in terms of relevance. Is this a "brilliant" album? Well, what is brilliance these days? If brilliance is characterized by reference to other contemporaneous releases, then this is certainly going to be 'brilliant' compared to most releases we'll see this year. Whether it has any standalone brilliance is something I won't bother pondering... ...But since it's as good as almost anything else that'll come out over the next 10 months or so, I'll be content to call it brilliant for now.