Okay, producer Nigel Godrich reported that some of the tracks aren't even the final mixes, but that's not the bloody point! This is the first studio material we've heard from Radiohead since Amnesiac, and that is more than enough to flip the music industry on its head. Especially now that we know that Hail to the Thief, the band's upcoming sixth album, is this damn good.
Leaked online against their will Monday, this early version of HTTT stands somewhere between the band's two extremes - not as spaced-out as Kid A, not as bombastic as The Bends. Lots of Thom's blistering falsetto, lots of electronic drum beats, lots of guitars.
The opener "2+2=5" struts through the door with cranking authority, and it becomes clear why drummer Phil Selway recently said that Radiohead is performing with the sort of swagger that drove the Rolling Stones during their height. "Sit Down, Stand Up" and "Scatterbrain" just hammer in that point further in case you had a lobotomy and forgot.
Amidst this shower of praise, a single complaint: The climax of "There, There" feels too subdued compared to their raucous live performances of the song from last fall. At least tinkering with that will give them something to do until the album's official release June 9.
- Greg Veis
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.