By BRENDAN HALL
Radiohead’s The King of Limbs is a wonderfully mesmerizing montage of all things soft and dreary, but although it may appear flat at first, after listening to it for four or five days the music begins to grow on the listener.
Reminiscent of their most critically acclaimed album Kid A, the album wonderfully fuses melodic electronic sounds with lead singer Thorn Yorke’s voice. What makes the album so tantalizing though is the fact that Radiohead appears to stick to its roots and old ways while simultaneously adding a small twist that draws the listener into the album.
The highlight of the album is “Lotus Flower,” a gentle song that’s minor upbeat percussion background carries the listener along while Yorke’s high voice gives the song a unique stamp and sets it apart from other songs on the album.
Another signature song on the album is “Little By Little.” The tempo is quicker and presents a nice deviation from the other songs on the album. One of the aspects of King of Limbs that will make it difficult for people to listen to is how slow it the tempo is and how the songs crawl by; few can take the time to really let the music settle in and appreciate everything it has to offer, which is understandable because it took a few days of repeat listening to grow fond of it. “Little By Little” helps speed up the record and its resemblance to Middle-Eastern music is somewhat refreshing.
Although King of Limbs will surely prove to be another staple in Radiohead’s legacy, fans may still long for the days of OK Computer and their more alternative sound. It will take listeners a little while to get used to the album, but if given a chance, the genius behind Yorke and the rest of the group will slowly come to life.