Radiohead
Amnesiac
(Capitol)

Call me crazy, but there’s a Radiohead backlash brewing. It has nothing to do with whether or not Radiohead are pretentious. Of course they are. Always have been. But who cares–other than pop critics, of course? No, the problem stems from the fact that the arty English quintet hasn’t lived up to expectations. Their fourth album, Kid A - more a collection of meandering mood pieces than songs - may have debuted at No. 1 around the world last October, but secretly, fans reasoned the boys had to get this one out of their system before returning to good old angst-ridden rock.

Now, a mere eight months later, Radiohead is back with Amnesiac. Advance word–or hope was that it would contain more "accessible" material from the Kid A sessions. Once the new music made its inevitable appearance on the Web about six weeks ago, however, that notion dissolved. Yes, Amnesiac boasts a higher percentage of identifiable melodies and lyrics than Kid A, but it’s not exactly a potential crossover smash. Most of the songs are as chilly and slow-drifting as snow on the tundra; singer Thom Yorke is still prone to bouts of morose mumbling; and there isn’t a single shout-along arena-rock chorus.

Industry pundits have already launched the attack, dubbing Amnesiac "Kid B-Minus." And while that’s not fair, something is missing here: unity. While Kid A was made up of 10 discrete tracks, it sounded like a complete 45-minute statement. Amnesiac feels pieced together.

Three of the pieces are strikingly out of place. "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors" features plenty of cool sounds, but no trace of a tune. "Hunting Bears" is an inconsequential doodle. And a remake of Kid A’s "Morning Bell" in 4/4 time (the original was in 5/4), though interesting, would’ve been better off as a B-side.

But three other pieces of Amnesiac rank with the band’s best work. On "Pyramid Song," Phil Selway’s languid drumming and Jonny Greenwood’s sinuous string line merge behind Mr. Yorke’s aching vocal, creating a sonic force that powers through the speakers like an ocean liner. "Knives Out," a cheery number about cannibalism, is also a welcome revival of the inventive three-guitar arrangements that used to be Radiohead’s stock-in-trade. "Like Spinning Plates" is a swirl of backward samples and throbbing synths that builds to an almost operatic peak with a pained falsetto melody by Mr. Yorke that may be his finest performance on record.

The rest of the album is evocative, often thrilling, but it confirms that the band’s decision last year not to issue a double album was the correct one. Several songs sound similar - at least in intent - to Kid A ttracks.

It’s funny how Radiohead has made such strenuous efforts to challenge both its audience and itself with each album, yet despite all the attempts to sound new and different, it’s ended up sounding more and more like … Radiohead. They call that a style, and it’s not a bad thing. Neither is Amnesiac. So don’t believe the backlash.

-Mac Randall

The New York Observer
11.06.01