Radiohead announced the
release of a digital version of
their eighth studio album “The
King of Limbs” for February
19, 2011 just five days prior.
They then surprised fans even
more by releasing the album a
day early.
Radiohead gave their fans an
option of purchasing the digital
version, or of purchasing the
special “Newspaper Album”
which will include the actual
CD, several pieces of artwork,
and vinyl discs of the album
that will be shipped in May,
but still get the digital download
on the release date. They
will release the physical CD
alone in late March.
It is very hard to compare
Radiohead albums because
each one has a distinct flavor
that cannot compare to the others.
Try comparing “In
Rainbows” to “Pablo Honey.”
It’s almost impossible. Both
are great, but they are very different.
With this in mind, I listened
to “The King of Limbs”
without any expectations.
The first track, “Bloom”
starts off in a very rhythmic
percussion loop that is layered
with lots of horn, bass, and
assorted synthesizer tracks.
“Little By Little” has an
acoustic-y feel atop the ambient
background that was everpresent
throughout the album.
Lead singer Thom Yorke
croons with almost a smirk
“I’m such a tease, and you’re
such a flirt” which stands out
amongst the rest of the lyrics.
The album returns to a percussion
loop-heavy track with
“Feral,” that is immersed with
Yorke’s reverb vocals.
The album takes a slight turn
with “Lotus Flower,” that
begins with a grounding bass
track with more electronic and
ambient tracks entering and
layering. The track has great
flow and will be near impossible
not to with the beat. This
surely will be the most appealing
track across the board.
“Codex” slows the album
down with a soulful piano
track. Steady and almost heartbeat-
like percussion, with an
airy ambient background, it
serves as the ultimate chill-out
track on the album.
The album closes with
“Separator,” on a very sweet
note. Still rhythmic but not
overwhelming, this track
cleans the pallet from the very
complicated jumble that was
the first few tracks to the
album.
“The King of Limbs” definitely
brought a new flavor to
the Radiohead mix. The first
half of the album, though
rhythmically exciting, were not
absolute favorites. The second
half redeemed the entire
album. The album has a great
flow and the tracks seem very
cohesive, almost story-like,
which is rare to find. “The
King of Limbs” will certainly
be a staple for all fans of
Radiohead.
The only upsetting part about
the album however, is the
length. The 37 minutes pack a
diverse set of tracks, but seems
like almost a tease from
Radiohead. Snack-like, you
begin listening to the album
and you find you have gobbled
it up, with none left.

Final Rating
8.5/10