 Radiohead stretches more than necessary in a dark environment, but the band finds a way to elevate itself. RADIOHEAD - HAIL TO THE THIEF (2003) Produced by Nigel Godrich and released in 2003, Radiohead's 6th studio album, Hail to the Thief, returns with guitar rock as seen in their early works, while maintaining elements from Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001), such as synthesizers and mechanical drums. With over 56 minutes of runtime, it's a long album (perhaps too long), at times excessive in the tracklist selection and poorly defined in its development, but it has great moments even without a specific direction. "2 + 2 = 5 (The Lukewarm)" is a rock track that starts with a rehearsal-like feel before the verses take shape in a smooth build-up to a heavy climax, where Yorke emphasizes in the chorus: "You have not been paying attention…", in an unfinished penance. With jazz influences, "Sit Down. Stand Up (Snakes and Ladders)" enters a more sinister (almost infernal) environment with its electronic touch, showing its more dominating side until it repeats incessantly: "The rain drops…". In contrast, the piano ballad "Sail to the Moon (Brush the Cobwebs Out of the Sky)" shifts from the heavy atmosphere to a Biblical allusion referring to the Ark in a transcendent journey to the moon with its thoughtful melody. "Backdrifts (Honeymoon is Over)" is an electronic song that self-punishes in a world that seems to regress on the evolutionary scale; "we tried, but there was nothing we could do…", Yorke laments, highlighting human fragility; in "Go to Sleep (Little Man being Erased)", the acoustic guitar sets the rhythm in a more folk-like setting where the protagonist seeks purification until the band steps in and changes the scene, although the fade-out clashes with the initial intent. In "Where I End and You Begin (The Sky is Falling In)", the group draws inspiration from 80s rhythms with its rock enriched by good lyrics; "and I’m sorry for us…", Yorke laments, leaving a message with multiple meanings between the lines: "(a gap) where I end and you begin…", he says, before emphasizing several times that there are no more lies where he is. With a bleeding tone, "We Suck Young Blood (Your Time is Up)" explores a piano and a jazz-accompanied setting, alluding to the materialistic culture of constantly craving youth, daily sucking the "blood" (energy) of the young in a controlling policy; but although suggestive, the song does not intend to be taken seriously, much like "The Gloaming (Softly Open our Mouths in the Cold)", which insists on addressing dark themes involving hell, witchcraft, and other less pleasant subjects already covered in the album. This time, it does so with a robotic rhythm, lacking charm in its protest. With the drums of "There There (The Boney King of Nowhere)" and the interesting construction of the guitar, the album enters a more rock’n’roll atmosphere, accompanied by Yorke’s metaphorical verses while gaining the support of the background choir in its climb to the climax, where the guitar remains increasingly alive; "we are accidents waiting to happen…", it ends appreciatively. In a post-war environment, "I Will (No Man's Land)" shows compassion and takes the listener on a quick trip of readmission into the world in a duet that contrasts the low and high tones, while "A Punchup at a Wedding (No No No No No No No No)", inspired by funk, emphasizes this same troubled world affected by nuances of quirks; "Myxomatosis (Judge, Jury & Executioner)" changes the pace and finds in its electronic bass a rescue to new-wave as it gets lost in its diverted thoughts surrendered to what the protagonist calls "myxomatosis". The pleasant atmosphere of "Scatterbrain (As Dead as Leaves)" elevates the album with its well-sung melody by Yorke and the guitar solo driven by distant feelings, like memories of the past returning with the wind; ending the journey, "A Wolf at the Door (It Girl. Rag Doll.)" emerges with its bold monologue until the melody gains vigor in its verses that seek to free the traveler from his dark nightmare. It’s a strong song that releases the listener from embarrassing situations of other tracks and finds a way to redefine the album. ★★★ (out of 5 stars) Radiohead Collection (9 Studio Albums): Pablo Honey (1993), The Bends (1995), OK Computer (1997), Kid A (2000), Amnesiac (2001), Hail to the Thief (2003), In Rainbows (2007), The King of Limbs (2011), and A Moon Shaped Pool (2016). |
