The last we heard anything new from Radiohead was 2001's Hail to the Thief. The six year wait, the longest in their career, paid off - big time. The musicianship on this album is simply mind-blowing, and not in a technical way. This album is full of beautifully arranged and passionately performed music that tugs at those heart-strings without relying on stylistic bullshit or superficial complications. The songs are clean, simple, as Thom Yorke put it "embarrassingly minimal." Rather than using dense solos or diluted riffs, simple arpeggios create interesting harmonies ("Weird Fishes," "Jigsaw Falling into Place") and Yorke's famously expressive falsetto is as sharp as ever, soaring through the music and puncturing it at the just right moments ("Nude," "House of Cards") But don't be fooled though, the album does have it's harder moments. "Body Snatchers" and "Reckoner" are sometimes jagged, sometimes serene songs that accentuate this band's song-writing talent. Every note is handled with care - carefully placed and beautifully arranged, making for a masterful album.One could gripe that there isn't really anything new happening here, but what I would argue is that this album is really a synthesis of the sound Radiohead has been crafting for the length of their long career. The straightforward, guitar-heavy songs of their older efforts The Bends and Ok Computer is present really throughout the album. The more derivative, abstract Radiohead of Kid A and beyond is present, though in the background on In Rainbows. "House of Cards," with it's beautiful guitar riffs and strange reverberations embodies what the band has achieved on this record: a quiet collaboration with it's own uniquely esoteric sound.
Because of this, I feel that this is really Radiohead's best release - although I even hesitate to make such a contentious statement. Nevertheless, whether you're an old fan or a first-time listener, this album is sure to blow your mind. I know it did to me.
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