Hail to the Theif

by Radiohead — 8 April 2003 — music — 4/5

Yes, the title is a reference to the 2000 elections. I've listened to this almost nonstop for the past week. This is my favorite album since Manic Street Preachers' Know Your Enemy. Keeping their distance from contemporary rock sounds of any sort, this is a throwback to when the term alternative meant something melded with electronic music (not electronica). In the vein of Kid A and Amnesiac but even more so, raw rough edges dominate and there is an ethereal quality to Thom's voice throughout. Radiohead creates encompasing soundscapes with a minimalist set of tools and a lot of odd syncopation. This is real alternative. Not due until June, put on your wishlist now.

Hot Spots: Where I End And You Begin, A Punch-Up At A Wedding, Myxomatosis, Scatterbrain, Go To Sleep, Sit Down Stand Up, We Suck Young Blood, The Gloaming. Yes, that's pretty much the whole album.