Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)

In Rainbows is an album that I've known and liked pretty much from the beginning of my familiarity with Radiohead. It's one of the first records I've heard by this band, so in a way I've taken it for granted and undermined it's brilliance and importance for both the band and the whole world of music for years. Self-publishing it on the band's site and distributing it for "free" was a move so bold, yet so successful, that it further cemented it as one of the most legendary and remarkable music releases ever.

In Rainbows seems to be both the antitesis of and an elaboraton on the style featured on "Kid A" album. Nowhere is it more apparent than on the record's opener - "15 Step". It seamlessly mixes the glitchy, broken-sounding electronic drums with warm and soulful guitar melodies in a way that feels natural and interesting. It kinda applies to the whole album. Despite the sounds feeling warm, huge and joyful (in opposition to Kid A's dark, narrow and cold percussiveness) they feature electronic instrumentation widely and creatively. "Bodysnatchers" hits the listener with this weird, groovy riff, processed so much that the instrument on which it's played feels unindentifiable (it's probably bass tho...). The song feels huge, emotional and euphoric and further explores on sonic textures established on "15 Step". I like how it develops into this mad, tribal crescendo that resolves the song into the next track.

Before the next euphoric and textured giant of a song, we have "Nude" which feels like a necessary breath of fresh air. It's very ethereal and soundscape-focused song, very much reminiscant of some "Kid A" tracks, but it sounds much wider and warmer. Plucky acoustic drums lead into "Weird Fishes", that is a definite highlight of this record. It's a classic and probably is the most overplayed and well known song here, but it's all for a good reason. The song is simply fantastic. The way it builds up and up with all the instruments playing in the manic but happy trance-inducing manner, feels soooo huge and epic. I especially love Thom's wailing, wordless vocal touches on that crescendo part - they elevate it into the whole another level...

The next song, "All I Need" features a really similar structure to the previous one, but adds a level of instrumental complexity. The bassline is both catchy and rhytmically tricky to get right, which is another identifying feature of this album. It too develops into unbeliveably satisfying crescendo, featuring so many layers of atmospheric instrumentation (e.g. glockenspiel!!!).

The duet of "Faust Arp" and "House of Cards" seems to be a low point of the record, but the songs are interesting and likeable nonetheless. They are pretty uncharacteristic for what the band was doing before, so they emphasize the importance of the experimentation during this era of the band. They've tried grunge, rock and electronic, so now it's the time for indie/jazzy weirdness. I especially enjoyed the way how meticuluous and complicated Faust Arp's arrangement is.

One of the most "acoustic"-feeling songs here is "Reckoner". It's definitely one of the best Radiohead songs ever! I love how roomy and pleasant it is. The tambourines, the whirling guitar and Thom's ethereal, uncharacteristicly happy vocals all create one of the greatest musical experiences you'll ever hear.

"Jigsaw" is the last of the cheery, guitar-focused crescendo songs here, but it's equally as moving and interesting as the other ones. It's also very radio-friendly and despite being so cheerful, still feels like a quintessential Radiohead song. And finally, at the end, we have a heartwrenching classic "Videotape". It really is one of the most devastatingly depressing songs I know, and it makes me very emotional every single time I bring myself to listen to it. I like how the electronic percussion kinda resembles the flickering of an actual videotape/video system.

The song's lyrics also mean very much to me. It's a wondeful end to this amazing album. This is undoubtedly either Radiohead best or second best (after Kid A!!). I will always admire this album's unique approach to crescendos, conveying emotion and overall warmth. It highlights extraordinary skills of all the band's musicians. The guitar sounds are delicate, creamy and so precise and technical... I'll never could learn and replicate those parts. The same could be said about drums, bass and vocals too.

The way the record was distributed seems to be really relevant today, with all the technofeudalism and streaming's domination over the music market. This type of "name your price" model is being implemented even today, for example by the classic Australian band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, so the legacy goes on.

It truly is very rare for the album to be this great!