I know of course that two days after the release of this radiohead album I must be the last person posting about it. There were even "live" reviews written as the writer listened for the first time. Well, this release certainly got everyone’s attention. Just to recap – this is the seventh studio album and is now available for download, and you decide the price, that’s right – anything you want between zero and £100. I opted for £4+45p download charge which I think is about right and what I’ve heard is the average price. There’s talk of a January release on CD and I imagine I’ll probably buy it then too, I’m a sucker for nice packaging. If you’re really into this, then there’s also a £40 option, which is a box set with booklet, vinyl editions and extra tracks. This is a little too steep for me.
So, to the music itself – first off, it’s fun and it sounds like the band are enjoying themselves. For the first time since OK Computer it feels like the band are reunited in the same room. Kid A and Amnesiac feel like members are working on their own little bits and Nigel Godrich is bringing it all together. Hail to the Thief had a little more togetherness, but not as much as here. For Radiohead, its life-affirming and positive, reminding me a little of Four-tet’s "Everything Ecstatic" – a joyous and playful record that remains experimental and challenging. Radiohead seem to have rediscovered the simple joy that is making music, and its a treat.
I’ve heard grumbles that the website wasn’t working and that the quality of the downloads is a bit poor, but to be honest, it was one of the easiest ways to get a record I’ve ever had. I think three clicks and I was away having a listen. On a final note, I made some little covers, mostly so that I can find it on the new, wonderful ipod touch that arrived from New York via my wonderful parents a couple of weeks ago. The wi-fi capabilities are amazing, and sites like Youtube, Facebook and Itunes have their own small screen versions which in someways out do the actual sites.
