Radiohead - The King of Limbs [XL/TBD]

8.1

Radiohead sure know how to get the music community in an uproar, except this time instead of pulling a "pay what you want" In Rainbows quota, they come out of nowhere with an announcement for their new LP The King of Limbs a week before its digital release. That whole week I fantasized how Limbs could be as monumental and brilliant as Kid A or as ground breaking as Ok Computer. My first listen of Limbs immediately erased these giddy excitements. Now I didn't give up just yet because like 99.9% of the people who listen to Kid A or Ok Computer for the first time didn't have the sound waves and texture sink in at first. Like the other LPs, I let this one sink in. Unfortunately only about half of it really sank in.

Starting out with the loopy "Bloom" it's immediate that Radiohead have once again approached another style to their musical abilities. This isn't surprising, accounting for that every single Radiohead album as different ranging from debut Pablo Honey to '07's In Rainbows. With the entrance of lead singer Thom Yorke's ghostly line, "Open your mouth wide." As if preparing us for the onslaught of Radiohead music to blow our minds. On first initial reactions of the sound, comparisons are easily made towards the dark, experimentation of Kid A and Amnesiac. The brewing impending doom that every songs seems to convey.

Speaking of impending doom, one songs nails that one on the head, "Codex". It has a "Pyramid Song" quality about it; with a jazzy piano line with soaring horns and cryptic lyricism from Yorke: "Jump off the end/The water's clear and innocent." Other impending lyrics come from the evaporating, acoustic "Give Up the Ghost" with lines like: "Gather up the pitiful/In your arms." Like most Radiohead albums, Limbs is dark and brooding with menace, but always hinting towards a light safety.

With the positives out of the way, now the negatives, which I hate to include in a Radiohead review. Tracks like "Feral" and "Little By Little" are weak, very weak. They sound like fillers to the whole album's theme. Yorke's vocals are some of the worst of any new effort I've heard, the way he sings, "Little by little", has an annoying quality to it. "Feral" is a loopy mess, that could develop into one of Radiohead's very prominent dance pieces like "Idioteque" or "Backdrifts", but instead it doesn't build from a fairy solid intro.

The highlight of Limbs is the beautiful "Lotus Flower", Yorke's vocals soar over a steady Phil Selway beat and Colin Greenwood bass line with other assorted noises. It's one of those Radiohead tunes where you think to yourself; Radiohead has created another powerful song that sounds like nothing else out there. Another highlight is the outro "Separator". It has probably the most accesible qualities with it; a pretty guitar line that pops in half way through the tune and through the band's power at making a monumental epic sound by uttering, "If you thinks this is over/Then you're wrong," possibly hinting towards a second part to Limbs (crosses fingers).

Limbs is probably the most "nonlinear" album that Radiohead has put out. The only song that really has any mainstream musical structure is "Lotus Flower" and even it has an odd feel to it. I can't just go out and say this is a step back from one of the world's most consistent band at the moment; in fact, I would say it's another artistic achievement that I just couldn't get into as much as maybe Kid A, In Rainbows, or Ok Computer. When I hear a pretentious Radiohead fan make the excuse to someone who doesn't like their music like "you just don't get it", that's such a stupid statement to make about a highly respectable band. It makes you look ignorant and like you actually like the music, you just like the band's image. Listen to Radiohead how it was meant to be listened to: simply listen and enjoy, or don't enjoy it, don't let Radiohead fan boys tell you any different.

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Cut Copy - Zonoscope [Modular]

8.0

Zonoscope, Australian electropop group Cut Copy's third and latest LP, is almost like a solid soundtrack of "Fit As Much '80s As You Can In An Album" album. I say "almost" because I cannot imagine an album fitting so much chaotic, irritating sound into an album. Cut Copy do an excellent job of creating great sounds that are very catchy, but once they are analyzed, they aren't anything special.

Zonoscope has the chaotic values of Animal Collective, yet not as abrasively notched up and fun loving dance-punk of LCD Soundsystem. Cut Copy sounds like they just sit down with a keyboard and fiddle around with different sounds and create something dancey. Now, I'm sure it's a lot more complex than that, but really when you delve deep into the sound of Cut Copy, their instrumentation is purely shallow. Loops and loops of keyboards, synths, electronic drum beats, and the occasional random entrance of another form of instrument.

Cut Copy is really for easy listening and dancing, and believe me, you'll be dancing to some of the tunes on Zonoscope ("Blink and You'll Miss a Revolution", "Need You Now"). Some songs are all shallow electronica though; in fact, the bouncy "Where I'm Going" has a playful Beach Boy-esque three part harmonic rendition that is very enjoyable. The guitar work on "This Is All We've Got" is fantastic until the interruption of spacey samples, but fortunately it immediately finds its way back to the dynamics of guitar and drums.

If you can't already tell, the song titles are very strong indicator of how weak the lyricism is. It's not exactly "thinking man" lyricism. Most of the songs sing of love ("Alisa", "Need You Now"), the most cliched topic in music. The vocalization isn't to hot either, lead singer Dan Whitford hides behind a lot of the walls of sound coming at you a lot like earlier 2011 stars Smith Westerns, but not as bad. Whitford echoes and seems to disappear almost like one of the instruments in the song, which can be done well, but not in this case.

All in all, Zonoscope is a fairly good album with a great moments and poor ones, but mostly great. With shallow instrumenation deep down, but most will not be bothered and will really enjoy its integrity. Zonoscope is really a great place to start if you maybe wanna get into a new and rising genre of electropop.

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James Blake - James Blake [Atlas/A&M]

8.9

Ever since James Blake's three EPs, The Bells Sketch, CMYK and Klavierwerke, from 2010, Blake has been making quite a buzz around a wide range of the musical community; from the dubstep-heads, indie kids, critics, and even casual listeners. It is always exciting to see an up-and-coming star release his debut in and a timely manner such as this to see what he/her can produce. James Blake has surely delivered.

James Blake is one of those LPs that are probably a genre by itself. Just handing someone some quality headphones and making them listen to leading single "Limit to Your Love", will explain everything. Blake attracts elements of dubstep, minimalism, jazz, R&B and so much more. This unique set of attributes creates one serene landscape of sound that is truly unmatched.

Blake's unusual elements of music making are something that needs growing, similar to experimental electronic mastermind Flying Lotus's Cosmogramma. These bizarre elements grow on you and are very rewarding. From the get-go on opener "Unluck", Blake's theme of synth use is introduced immediately and will only continue from there. The percussion is some of the most interesting; fueled by snaps, crackles, claps, pops, etc. it again separates Blake from the rest.

Blake's most personal track on his debut is by far the second track "Wilhelms Scream". It puts Blake's vocals front and center with intimacy. Singing out, "I don't know about my loving anymore/All I know is that I'm turning, turning, turning". These lines about love are havens in Blake's music that truly capture Blake's subtle yet mesmerizing music. The steady build-up on "I Never Learnt to Share" once again shows more sides to Blake's musical capabilities; the rest of the album is subtle and quieter paced, but that track's climax gushes out waves of an electronic mesh.

The true highlight of James Blake comes perfectly timed when listening to the LP straight through; following the very personal two part auto-tuned "Lindesfarne". That track is "Limit to Your Love". This Feist cover starts out with a jazzy piano intro that is accompanied by Blake's almost picture-perfect vocals. Then after this delicate intro come a long pause that you could fit a truck through and then an explosion of powerful dub bass blasts in with a steady beat of a dissonant snare click. It's one of the most beautifully crafted songs that mix so many different musical elements into one. Dubstep, jazz, minimalism, pop; it's all there.

One flaw from making James Blake a classic are some of the filler songs that follow the epic "Limit To Your Love" like "Give Me My Month" and "Why Don't Call Me", both lo-fi singer/songwriter personal pieces accompanied by piano. These tracks don't stick on you and have no definitive shape or structure like previous tracks. Other than those sub-par tracks, James Blake is a definitive stand-out in 2011.

This album might be a stepping stone to introducing people to the very misunderstood genre of dubstep, and lead them to more listens. I wouldn't go out and say this is a straight out dubstep album, because it simply isn't. It's a mixture of so many different elements that just come together to create a gush of electronic genius. I'm intensively looking forward to more that James Blake has to offer in the near future.

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Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean [Warner Bros./4AD]

6.9

When I first read that Iron & Wine mastermind Sam Beam's idea for his latest release Kiss Each Other Clean was to sound like radio-friendly '70s pop, I cringed a bit. If there is any music period I hate more, it's the pop sounds that came out of the early to mid '70s. But, of course who's to say that I will absolutely despise this record. I don't, but I do find the repetitive pop nature of it annoying.

Like most pop melodies and albums, Kiss Each Other Clean has its moments and charms; like the delicate bell chimes on "Tree By the River", the tribal beats of "Rabbit Will Run", and the jazzy saxophone on "Big Burned Hand". Unfortunately, these are some of the only memorable moments on Kiss Each Other Clean. The other positive towards the LP is the lyricism of Beam. Beam's long monologues on what he's seeing on "Walking Far From Home" and his contrasting abilities on the finale "Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me".

After many listens of the LP, I feel unsatisfied. It almost sounds hallow, in a bad way. The old Iron & Wine was personal and in your face with delicate melodies and heart-breaking vocals, but now its more "pop" oriented. This approach is a step back for Beam. The instrumentation is mysterious and intriguing, but it doesn't do Beam any justice to his intricate storytelling. None of the songs really capture you very well like past Iron & Wine works like The Sheppard’s Dog or The Creek Drank the Cradle.

But of course it isn't all bad. Beam has a knack for creating these mysterious landscapes, not the same as before, but now more relaxed and quirky. It's not a terrible record at all, but it's quite average. Listening strictly to the lyrics is an interesting experience to do while listening to any Iron & Wine work. "Her big kids all run down the road/With no memories at all," croons Beam on the delicate acoustic piece "Godless Brother In Love".

There really isn't more to say about Kiss Each Other Clean, it's unsatisfying, but will drag you into Beam's mysterious landscapes of indie folk/pop. This album isn't for everybody, but it might appeal to early '70s lovers of AM-radio friendly pop. The pacing of the album continuously feels odd and that always bothers me, but Kiss Each Other Clean is a solid record for an easy listening early in the 2011 season.

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