Radiohead, an English rock band that originated in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, has been dubbed as one of the “greatest bands of the century.” Main vocalist Thom Yorke, brothers’ lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and bassist Colin Greenwood, guitarist Ed O’Brien, and drummer Phillip Selway make up the group.
On the 10th of October 2007, the band released my favorite album ever, In Rainbows. It consists of ten songs which last for a playtime of 42 minutes with a second EP disk with an additional 25. It perfectly encapsulates what the band represents: Utter. Chaos.
With the heavy electronic and rock elements, the album remains my favorite of all time. The tracklist is as follows:
“15 Step”
“Bodysnatchers”
“Nude”
“Weird Fishes / Arpeggi”
“All I Need”
“Faust Arp”
“Reckoner”
“House Of Cards”
“Jigsaw Falling Into Place”
“Videotape”
The song that starts the album is “15 Step.” The starting composition includes drumming, guitar, bass, and simple but effective vocals. Drumming syncopation runs until the 40-second mark. Coincidentally, a melodious guitar tune starts to play that is backed up by Thom Yorke’s falsetto. Bass comes in at 1:15. The vocals remain constant; it feels as though it builds to something, but it doesn’t. What the song represents to me is fear and anger but frustration mostly. Starting lines “How come I end up where I started, how come I end up where I went wrong,” represents frustration. The narrator isn’t progressing at a rate that they can see as beneficial for the amount of effort they put in. Personally, I listen to this song when I’m at a crossroads.
“Bodysnatchers” is the second song on In Rainbows and is not one of my personal favorites. The intro of the song ruins it for me as it sounds kind of discordant. Though it works in the later parts, I LOVE the way that the song’s second half plays out. It leaves a satisfying but longing, yearning feeling with Yorke’s vocal mumbling. The lyrics are, again, open to interpretation. Give it a listen!
“Nude,” arguably my favorite song of the album and top three Radiohead songs in general, starts with Yorke’s vocals and evolves into so much that I cannot describe. After 12 seconds of purely humming in the intro, a melody of noises starts to play. Synth, violins, guitar beat, etc, continue for about 30 seconds until everything silences into solely the bass beat with Yorke starting to sing in a piercing falsetto. It develops with more power at the two-minute mark. My favorite part of the whole song plays at 2:45. The lead singer’s vocals make this song and certainly encapsulates what others feel when listening to it: utter despair and longing. It feels so intimate; you feel like you’re floating.
A fan favorite song, “Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi,” is the fourth song of the album. The partnership of the guitar and the drums in the first half of this song is catchy but still brings something refreshing. Yorke starts singing at the minute mark, and the song never fails to be entertaining though most of the verses don’t go over five words. The song evolves at the last minute as most of the instrumentals and synths play out into a fantastic symphony of what the whole album invokes: absolute chaos.
The fifth song on the album, “All I Need,” engages the listener with a slow drum beat accompanied by a depressing violin. As it plays, a deep piano starts to play. Like a glass overflowing with water, it’s very gradual. The song doesn’t abruptly change tempo. “All I Need” is a great song to play when you want to feel like you’re at the end of a bleak, somber movie waiting for who-knows-what.
“It’s like you’re watching a movie and a scene plays where their friend dies on a hospital bed playing in the background, it gives you the emotional feeling. Makes you wanna cry,” said junior Tierra Adams.
“Faust Arp:” “Faust Arp” has a newer-gen song feeling. The song plays out with immediate vocals, an immediate guitar, and a vocal violin; the song conjures a completely different resonance from the rest of the album despite making you feel tranquil. It’s refreshing due to it still giving the Radiohead-esque feeling.
“Reckoner:” Selway’s drums are the star of the song; the enthusiastic beat in this album continues through the song until the 50-second mark. I feel neutral about this song, although it’s a tad bit boring and laid-back compared to the other songs. I like the ending. I would skip this song if you want a loud rock vibe.
“House Of Cards:” Just like the previous song, it is also slow compared to the rest of the album. It gave an unfinished feeling. It is very mellow, but to me, it is a fun listen. It is like a mish-mash of all the songs on the album but still remains up to a low expectation.
“Jigsaw Falling Into Place:” This song is a treasure. It dips up and down in terms of beat, ultimately reaching its peak in musicality. I love this song. The little hums that Yorke gives after a brief moment of silence are invaluable. There is no boring part. It evokes a sense of chasing and unleashing the aspect of you that holds your character back. The ending of the song is my personal favorite: “There is nothing to explain, You eye each other as you pass, not just once, not just twice.”
“Videotape:” “Videotape” is another one of my go-to’s and the last song on the first disk. To me, it is distinctly different from the rest: it’s indescribable. If I were to pick an underrated song from the album, it would be this one. The melodies and instruments give the song a melancholic ambience. I’m enamored by it.
With Yorke’s vocals, the Greenwood brothers’ bass and guitar, O’brien’s guitar, and Selway’s drumming, the album remains a quintessential but devastating listen. To me, this album varies from the rest as they feel like a combined talent and was essential to the band’s newer identity in the music industry. When someone asks what album is the most “Radiohead,” I’d go with In Rainbows.
Subjectively, this is an 11/10 album. No words can describe what I feel when I listen to these tracks, and the expectation for this band never falls short. Tell me your favorite song from In Rainbows in the comments below!
