Radiohead
Pablo Honey

THE REVIEW

The premise that must be made before listening to this album is the following. "Pablo Honey" is light years away, or almost, from the band's later works. Qualitatively, all the works that follow are certainly of greater value. However, the album should not be overrated, one should not fall into the opposite trap; because "Pablo Honey" is not a bad album at all.

Talking about the first album of Radiohead and immediately thinking of "Creep," unfortunately, is a very recurring fact. Inevitably, the first track that comes to mind is the single that brought the Oxford band to success. After being released in 1992, it quickly became an anthem for those who found themselves immersed in the alienation of an entire generation. Since 1998, Radiohead will no longer play the song live, withholding disdain for those who immediately turned up their noses when the song wasn’t performed during a show. The track is not bad, on the contrary, it is excellent; the only flaw is precisely the value that this song will assume for the band. The strong points of "Creep" are Jonny Greenwood's violent guitar and Thom Yorke's vocal performance.

The album primarily expresses itself through sonorities close to pop rock. Notable examples are the first track of the album "You," an excellent song whose lyrics tell of an obsessive love, and "How Do You?," a pleasant track of not extraordinary length.
Completely different, however, are other songs, like the two singles "Stop Whispering" and "Anyone Can Play Guitar." The former in particular recalls some sounds that we will find in later works; while the latter evokes disturbing, haunting atmospheres that are, at the same time, almost ironic.
Decent songs also include "Ripcord" and "Vegetable," although they certainly do not lead to thoughts of the word masterpiece. Of greater value is "Prove Yourself." Despite the song not being a complex composition, the final result is convincing; also thanks to a direct message: "I'm better off dead."
"Thinking About You," on the other hand, is one of the songs contending for the title of worst on the album. All too banal, with a predictable text and a melody that recalls something already heard. The other candidate is "Lurgee," a track overly boring. Appreciable is "I Can't," on par with "Ripcord" and "Vegetable."
The album concludes with the track that deviates the most from the album's sound. "Blow Out" indeed seems to be the best song on the entire CD precisely for its difference from the other tracks. Something different, more articulate.

Radiohead will continue their career brilliantly, and even though "Pablo Honey" will prove to be the band's worst work, it must be acknowledged for being the right starting point.

A good album, a necessary album.