Atoms For Peace: Amok

When Thom Yorke wanted to tour his solo album, The Eraser, he called upon his heavyweight musical chums: Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, REM’s Joey Waronker and renowned session percussionist Mauro Refosco. The shows were a massive success, the band got wasted and listened to Fela Kuti, and decided they were having such fun they’d make a record of their own. Enlisting Radiohead’s uber-producer Nigel Godrich, they headed to the studio. The result is Amok, the first (and possibly only) album from Atoms For Peace…

Opener Before Your Very Eyes immediately reveals the influence of Kuti, with its scratchy afro-beat percussion recalling the image of Yorke’s absurdist dancing in the video for Lotus Flower. Indeed, it’s the danciest track Yorke has been associated with in quite some time – and an unexpectedly fun way to kick things off.

That sense of abandon doesn’t permeate the whole album, however, with things settling into the throbbing, dubstep-inspired grooves which have characterised so much of Radiohead’s recent work. It’s a rich sound, filled with some wonderful basslines (Stuck Together Pieces) and even a touch of Vangelis inspired synth which might have been lifted directly from Bladerunner (Default). Ingenue features Yorke’s best vocal: a sweeping fragile falsetto offset by the unexpectedly percussive sound of a dripping tap.

There’s little here that’ll convert the unconvinced, with Yorke refusing the opportunity to cut loose and experiment a little, and occasionally losing his illustrious band-mates amidst the carefully calibrated production. There are moments where things threaten to erupt and it’s a frustration that it doesn’t, but Amok rewards repeated listens – its intricacies only revealing themselves gradually over time. It’s not a groundbreaker, but until the next Radiohead release, it will keep Thom Yorke’s dedicated fans more than satisfied.

Radiohead: King of Limbs

It’s been a while since Radiohead released an album traditionally. Having broken new ground with their ‘honesty box’ approach to In Rainbows, this time they took the music world by surprise by announcing midweek that their new long-player would be released for download on Saturday 19th February. Presumably it was a bid to beat the pirates who would leak the material ahead of any normal release and as such it seems to have worked. A physical release and a fancily packaged newspaper version will follow. But aside from the gimmicks, have Radiohead come anywhere near to emulating the brilliance of In Rainbows?

Bloom is something of a misnomer. It begins with deceptively gentle piano but refuses to bloom into anything – instead launching itself into a disjointed rhythm and an eery vocal. It’s hardly a surprise that Radiohead should open an album in such an abstract way and a further reminder that the path they tread is theirs and theirs alone.

Morning Mr Magpie begins with an insistent riff which could almost belong on a seventies cop show – the up-tempo nature of it tempered by Yorke’s vocals before it gives way to the opening guitar strum of Little by Little: a sound which wouldn’t be out of place in a Western soundtrack. That sense of playfulness continues lyrically: ‘i’m such a tease and you’re such a flirt’.

It’s an album which wears its influences well. It’s clear on tracks like Feral that the ‘dubsteppy’ sound pioneered by Burial (and appropriated by James Blake) have been on the Radiohead turntable. Lotus Flower, however, is the closest to a ‘traditional’ Radiohead song (if there is such a thing). The lyrics have a clarity not heard on a Radiohead song in quite some time – and if you haven’t seen the video you definitely need to check it out (below).

Codex is, quite simply, beautiful. Piano led, with a quite stunning performance from Thom Yorke, it’s a simply crafted, gentle song which really benefits from the band’s decision to rely on melody rather than effects. It’s gorgeous. I’m not sure the birdsong at the end was strictly necessary although it does allow a neat passage into Give Up The Ghost – a song (like album closer Separator)which builds gently and then fades away leaving nothing but a warm feeling.

It’s probably not the best idea to review an album immediately after it’s been released – especially one by a band who reward repeated listening. But we live in an era where people want everything all of the time (see what i did there?) and so here it is. Critics seem disappointed that Radiohead haven’t set off in an entirely new direction, but innovation for innovation’s sake isn’t necessarily a good thing. King of Limbs is unlikely to win the band many new fans but it will absolutely delight their existing ones. It’s a brilliant record which will reward repeated listening and which i cannot wait to learn more about.