You guessed it. I have a midterm tomorrow and some class content to catch up on, but I’ve also been antsy to get writing, making it the opportunity to push studying off and write this. Honestly, this morning I didn’t even have any ideas for what I could write about today. I’ve been dabbling here and there with different artists (most consistently The Black Keys), but none of the others have been begging for a blog post. If there is a common theme in my listening, it has been angsty boy bands. And as I turned on my little fall morning playlist, I realized I’d been building up quite the Radiohead collection on there. So, surprise! Today’s post is dedicated to Radiohead’s In Rainbows.
I’ve never really been into “Creep” and even tried catching that Radiohead wave last fall, yet ultimately it was pretty unsuccessful. “Weird Fishes / Arpeggi” and “Nude” fit comfortably onto my playlists, but that was about it. However, Spotify’s algorithm had been convinced that I needed to try again—and correct it was.
Moving out of my usual ’70s rock stint during these months, Radiohead actually got their start in 1985 in Oxfordshire. I’m coming to realize how much I love a good English rock band. Thom Yorke, the Greenwood brothers, Ed O’Brien, and Philip Selway came together in their experimental ways to “advance the sound of alternative rock.” Rolling Stone named this group one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and included five of their albums in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. They’ve been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and have earned six Grammys, four Ivor Novellos, and five Mercury Prize nominations—more than any other band. Wow, must I go on? I believe my point was made: the world agrees that Radiohead is pretty incredible.
So, onto today’s topic at hand: In Rainbows. Their seventh studio album was self-released in December of 2007 without any prior publicity and was available for download at a price the customer set. I was freshly three years old and could not have been pulled away from whatever Camp Rock soundtrack I was listening to in order to give Radiohead some airtime. God, how I wasted my time back then.
So why In Rainbows and not OK Computer or even Pablo Honey? To be completely honest, I naturally have pulled many more songs from this album than from any of the others. I even tried giving OK Computer its fair listen before writing this up but couldn’t make it through the first few tracks. That told me all I needed to know for now.
The album opens with “15 Step,” a song I barely recognized as Radiohead at first. You could’ve told me the first 45 seconds were Ed Sheeran, and I would’ve believed you. But as you transition into the second minute, that melancholic guitar and nasally voice seep in, and I know what I’m in for. It’s a pretty energetic and upbeat song. After twenty years of making music together, this song makes sense to be on one of Radiohead’s later albums. It’s much more experimental—not in a “let’s change the face of rock” way, but more in a “what haven’t we tried yet” way.
Next, I can’t say the second track, “Bodysnatchers,” is anything special. I probably would never choose to listen to it again if it weren’t on this particular album. But the two tracks that follow… wonderful. “Nude” and “Weird Fishes / Arpeggi”—what great songs to play on the way to an early morning class. I’m tempted to call out a lyric from either for this write-up, but I really can’t claim that I listen to these songs to try to understand the lyrics or even sing along. The singing function more as hums in the background than anything else. I just need the transcendent moments in “Nude” and the mellow guitar melody in “Weird Fishes / Arpeggi,” and I can be on my way.
Sidenote: Is Arpeggi even a real word? **Follow-up: it means “playing the notes of a chord one after another instead of simultaneously.” Hmm, that kind of reminds me of playing something like “A Horse With No Name.” I guess I get the song title—just not the fish part.
To follow, “All I Need” is one of the biggest hits on the album, and I don’t really know why. It’s fine. “Faust Arp,” though? What a casual but awesome interlude to slip in there. Subtle yet game-changing as we head into the second half of the album. “Reckoner” and “House of Cards” that follow are pretty great and line up nicely with the rest of the tracks, but I’d rather give more time to “Jigsaw Falling Into Place.”
The Radiohead guys don’t strike me as the type to be very assertive or aggressive. Their calmness has always come off to me as either them being nonchalant or passive. Well, that narrative has changed after listening to JFIP. They hum their way through a spectacular buildup and into a really exciting song. Can’t say there are many Radiohead songs I can listen to on repeat, but this might be one of them. It’s a top 10 of the season for sure.
Just as you dance, dance, dance
This marks the moment leading into probably my favorite minute of music that they’ve produced. What a shame it’s followed up by “Videotape.” That depressing piano takes the melancholic vibe a little too far for my liking.
Clearly, I’ve got thoughts on pretty much every song on this album. And I am nowhere near alone on this. In Rainbows was the best-selling vinyl record in 2008, also winning Best Alternative Music Album at the 51st Grammy Awards. “House of Cards” was nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song (beat out by “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon, interestingly enough). Radiohead performed “15 Step” at this same Grammy ceremony where Al Green, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban, and Boyz II Men collaborated to perform “Let’s Stay Together.” Probably a night to remember (I was four).
Anyway, I’m sure you’ve heard something off this album. The whole thing is a great use of 43 minutes—so why not go for it?
Iz FM 
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