Radiohead’s new album solid, but wastes potential

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4 stars out of 5

Radiohead’s eighth studio album, “The King of Limbs,” is worth the the $9 price tag for hardcore and casual fans alike.

Right off the bat, it is clear the main influence the band is going for in this album is ambient IDM, the opening track “Bloom” showcases the experimental drum beats and unusual electronic noises for which the genre is known.

This influence is found throughout the album, be it the almost tribal-like noises in the song “Feral” or reinterpreted as guitar lines in “Morning Mr. Magpie.” These influences add a level of tension to the music that isn’t exactly uncomfortable but scoots listeners closer to the edge of their seat as they listen.

The (for all intents and purposes) single “Lotus Flower” is the easiest song off the album to get into as it presents carefully textured ambient IDM in a less off-the-wall manner than the others, and can help newer fans ease into this album.

Many of the tracks feel as if they will build up and perhaps reach some sort of climax, or fill in the ambience with something fuller and louder, but for the most part this doesn’t happen.

“Lotus Flower,” “Separator,” “Codex” and even less ambient tracks like “Little By Little” or “Morning Mr. Magpie” all appear as if they are going to build to something greater and progress toward the end of the song, but none of them go much of anywhere.

The one song that feels like it has fully progressed by the end is “Give Up the Ghost.” Starting out sounding out almost like an acoustic song fit for singing around the campfire, it slowly but surely adds more emotion and texture to it.

It does not end with a crashing boom but it has a clear progression and is the best song on the album.

“The King of Limbs” is by no means a subpar album, it just feels like wasted potential. All the songs are fantastically written but they just cry to have some sort of progression or climax to them.

For what is presented, though, “The King of Limbs” is a good, enjoyable album and an easy recommendation.