Um, We Call That Swerving

Radiohead
Airbag/ How Am I Driving?
(Capitol)

This EP is aimed straight at all the Yanks out there.

Extracted from the recording sessions for Radiohead's third full- length album (OK Computer) is the British band's first U.S. release of B-sides, the limited-edition Airbag/How Am I Driving?. Before following through on six fortuitous picks from the flipside, the mini-release starts with something more familiar ("Airbag," which also acts as the opener on OK Computer). Existing in the same form as it does on the longplayer, it's a somewhat disappointing overture to a release of rare treats. If not enticing in theory, in actuality the song is appealing; it begins with an ominous guitar riff, then moves into a labyrinth of droney rock.

From there, Airbag (subtitled "This Mini Album is Aimed at the USA") proceeds toward uncertain destinations (not a bad thing). It deviates from the Radiohead we know from the hits ("Creep," "Fake Plastic Trees" and most recently, "Karma Police"). Though it delivers on the band's knack for creating interesting textures, it is as understated as it is arty. While the shimmering melody of "Pearly" stays true to the song's title, "Meeting in the Aisle" consists of a matrix of computerized instrumentation, absent vocals.

The standout track is the two-headed "Polyethylene 1 & 2," which starts out with sullen melancholy as vocalist Thom Yorke sings lyrics of lingering hope in his lazy near-falsetto. But 42 seconds into it, he stops abruptly and counts to four, and the song becomes "Polyethylene 2," a powerful guitar-rock escapade. "Palo Alto," the punk-tinged final track, is an equally noisy affair, once its initial tension turns into a tantrum that alternately recoils and re-releases. Meanwhile, "A Reminder" designates an agitated, galactic atmosphere but still succeeds on melody, and "Melatonin" is two minutes of bone-chilling balladry.

In other words, this particular EP is well worth the coin (but you knew that already).

Teri van Horn

Addicted To Noise
12.06.98