Radiohead
Amnesiac

THE REVIEW

All the poetics of “Kid A” vanishes with “Amnesiac”; the constant quest for an absolute antithesis, both spiritual and musical, is replaced by a less conceptually significant experimentalism, yet still excellent.

The nothingness, oblivion, terror, the freezing of minds, and self-denial that rendered the 2000 album immortal and unique fade away, as the concept gives more and more space to individual songs. This results in a very heterogeneous album, at times too cold; rather than a unified work, we have excellent tracks, unconnected to each other.

It begins with the synthetic dance of “Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box”, a syncopated pace and depressed singing take center stage in this quirky Indian nursery rhyme. Compared to the opening track of “Kid A,” it may come out victorious from a purely qualitative standpoint, but all the obsessive magic is gone. This isn't repeated with “Pyramid Song”, an excellent symphonic pop song, enhanced by Yorke's emotional singing, displaying all his expressiveness here. The result is one of Radiohead's best songs.

Now begins a tumultuous journey through nine bewildering episodes of creativity and inspiration.

“Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors” is a pounding electronic nightmare; super-compressed, stunning, and violent music, even the voice is computer-effected. All of this is interspersed with a few seconds of peace.
“You and Whose Army?” goes even further; a sort of jazz, retro sounds, and voice also effected here. The lyrics are among the most politicized and ferocious of the group. The synergy between pleasantness and refinement is at very high levels. The same goes for the following “I Might Be Wrong”, 21st-century rock; a hysterical guitar, sound effects, and insistent singing blend perfectly. Perhaps not very engaging, but it remains an excellent cue for possible rock evolutions.

After these three vastly different pieces, Radiohead offers us a break with “Knives Out”, a simple melody filled with emotions; another excellent example of alt-pop.

At this point, we can dive into the depths of experimentation; avoiding the obstacle of “Morning Bell/Amnesiac”, beautiful but forced, we arrive at “Dollars & Cents”. A sleepy depiction of darkness; enveloping strings support the slow funeral dance. This is the moment closest to the atmospheres of “Kid A,” darkness and hysteria blend into something elusive.
“Like Spinning Place” is another meeting of experimentation and melody; based on the sound of tapes played backwards, it is one of the most touching and intimate moments, especially for Thom's fragile voice.

The album ends as it began, with creativity, exploration of new musical territories, and solid compositions. “Live In a Glasshouse” is a New Orleans band meeting rock musicians. The splendid horns intertwine with yet another excellent performance by Yorke; particularly beautiful in the chorus, it's probably Radiohead's experimental pinnacle.

“Amnesiac” thus proves to be more than a step forward compared to “Kid A”; there are more ideas, more confidence in their means. The electronics expand, refine, and assume different functionalities. We move from simple background effects to compositions centered on electronic manipulations. But not only that; while on one side we find the rock inspiration, on the other we discover the group's interest in musical genres very distant like jazz.

In this splendid picture, what's missing is the soul the group had put into the previous album, not so creatively exuberant, but with unmatched continuity and concept logic. In the end, the two works are equivalent; one poetic, difficult, and unified; the other heterogeneous, stimulating, and sparing. Perfection isn't reached, but in both cases, it comes very close.