Thoughtspace Infinite: [EXCLUSIVE] Radiohead: The King Of Limbs

This is what you're getting yourself into if you keep reading...

This may be the most anticipated album release in two years. Period. With Radiohead, quality is certain and experimentation is inevitable. Although experimentation exists before quality and may define its' boundaries, Radiohead has the unique ability to define quality before implementing experimentation. Prediction or just a lucky guess? I'll side with the skill of prediction for numerous reasons.

Ok Computer may be my favorite album, not just my favorite Radiohead album, but my favorite of all time. Now over a decade old (released in '97), this album was heralded as one of the top ten albums of the 1990's. It's influence and experimentation was novel for the period, yet the quality was immediately accepted, and not because of reputation. This was before Radiohead was Radiohead. If you're new to Radiohead, then I highly recommend starting with this album.

Kid A is my second favorite Radiohead album (released in 2000) and was completely detached from any single musical genre that had come before. Yes, the vocals were still that of Thom Yorke, but this was not the same band that produced Ok Computer, or was it? Kid A was experimentation at its' finest. The type of experimentation that I refer to in the opening paragraph. The difference with the opening paragraph, however, is that quality was not recognized until after the experimentation. Kid A went on to win numerous awards, including a Grammy for Best Alternative Album and a nomination for album of the year. Also, numerous media outlets have labeled Kid A one of the top ten albums of the 2000's, often taking the top spot. Newbies, Kid A would be a solid choice to follow the Ok Computer listening advice above.

Now, will The King of Limbs be a novel experimental album that we have come to expect from Radiohead? If it is, I would argue that the quality was inherent before the experimentation. That is, Radiohead knew exactly what type of music to produce next. They knew the genre, boundaries, and expectations. Having listened to the album only once, I will say that it's hard to tell at the moment. It's not completely novel in an experimentation framework, but there are clear moments of pushing the boundaries (Ex. Lotus Flower, Bloom). There are also moments of, "ahh, that's the Radiohead we all know and love" (Morning Mr. Magpie, Little by Little). Without further adieu, here is The King of Limbs by Radiohead (320 kbps). Available for download via MP3 and WAV starting TODAY. The physical album won't be out until March 28th in the UK. Enjoy!

Radiohead - The King of Limbs