King Of Limbs - Worth the Wait

The new Radiohead album, King of Limbs, is brilliant [as usual]. Review done; see you again in three years. Well, if only things were that simple...

Predicting what the next Radiohead sound will be is a loser’s game and, while King of Limbs isn’t the 8-bit-reggae-Kiwi rock I was [perhaps optimistically] hoping for, this new record is a perfect mix of past albums and new influences. It is an impressive feat Radiohead achieve in not becoming complacent or remaining static. The whole world would collectively shit themselves if U2 went electro, but Thom Yorke and Co. embrace and absorb new sounds and trends and the result is magnificent.

Inspired by artists such as Flying Lotus and Four Tet, King of Limbs is ultimately less immediate and accessible than In Rainbows, yet in no way less rewarding. After only a handful of listens it has the feel of a great record. In six months, after living with the album day-in day-out, it could be a classic.

Pyramid Song is the best song Radiohead has ever made, there is no argument, so ‘Codex’ is an album highlight. The track feels like a long lost relative, sharing some core DNA but twisted and corrupt. ‘Codex’ has an almost ethereal nature; never truly solid it floats above the lightest orchestration. It carries with it the tension and fragility of modern society, a trait it shares with Radiohead classics off albums such as Kid A and Amnesiac.

Lotus Flower and its video companion is another highlight that King of Limbs has to offer. Featuring some fantastic drumming, a great holdover from In Rainbows, this track is closer to Thom Yorke’s solo material than the last record and it’s nice to hear this bleed into the band’s influences.

King of Limbs is a wonderful experience and one that I look forward to reliving over and over again in the coming year. Yet its brilliance lies in the fact that even after several listens I don’t feel like I’ve scratched the surface of this record.

If you like this album ... you are correct.

DWR