 With intensity and emotion, A Moon Shaped Pool surprises with impeccable vocals, striking melodies, and virtuosic arrangements. RADIOHEAD - A MOON SHAPED POOL (2016) Produced by Nigel Godrich, A Moon Shaped Pool is Radiohead's 9th studio album and the most artistic in the British band's official discography. Released in 2016, the group's new work builds on the experimental elements subtly introduced in The King of Limbs (released five years earlier) but forges its own path, delivering a more intense experience with Thom Yorke's flawless vocal performance and well-polished instrumentation featuring virtuosic arrangements, enough to elevate the album to the highest echelon of the band's career. "Burn the Witch" opens the album with an introduction that immediately surprises, but it is Thom Yorke's voice that stands out as the verses arrive and the chorus escalates: "Burn the witch... We know where you live...," he sings, as if the music's strings spiral within the floating melody; back on solid ground, a beautiful piano sound accompanied by a profound ambient noise in "Daydreaming" takes the journey to a distant place within the mind, in an intrinsic moment where the protagonist daydreams: "And it's too late... The damage is done...," he emphasizes serenely with a light and effective tone, like a dream where sunlight patiently fills the gray-toned spaces. "Decks Dark" enhances the bass line while a perceptive drum enriches the song, prompting the listener to question human darkness amid harmoniously sung metaphors; in a more lively plane, the acoustic dimension of "Desert Island Disk" elevates the protagonist's spirit to a new life during his meditation, exploring different paths in the belief in various kinds of love. "Ful Stop" is more dramatic, emphasizing right from the start: "You really messed up...," says the protagonist amid an excess of background pads; in the second half, the song enters a methodical loop, almost as if trying to lose itself in past suffering while anxiously seeking a new chance to make things right this time. The nostalgic atmosphere takes over, making it practically impossible to separate the protagonist's pain from the listener's. Art-rock and its unknown elements are subtly and harmoniously implanted in the journey, as evidenced by the beautiful dedication of "Glass Eyes," a composition full of life in its triumphant innocence that transcends the poetry of a shattered heart, guiding the traveler through a difficult change process; "Identikit" reinforces the idea of a broken heart seeking comfort on different scales, under a pleasant rhythm where the instrumentation gains prominence, until the ingenious conclusion with a well-introduced brief guitar solo — and it's curious to see how this instrument, so sparingly used on the album and wisely restrained by the band in various tracks, still has time to shine amid the success of the strings. The rehearsed and adventurous piano of "The Numbers" precedes the arrival of somewhat bluesy instrumentation in a performance reserved for the band to define its direction while emphasizing: "The future is inside us...," before the melody reaches a heightened point of personal triumph with an exceptional violin (constantly explored on the album) among striking melodies, transforming the experimental ambiance into something vigorous and dramatic; then, with an atmosphere more conducive to artistic celebration, "Present Tense" controls the protagonist's steps while the background chorus dazzles with emotion. It is gratifying to see the direction the melody echoes in its sentiment-filled conception, making the experience even more rewarding. The title "Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief" is peculiar but manages to maintain the album's unpredictability with creative strings, eccentric piano, and a voice that retains its purity amid the most improbable diversities, being an element of extreme value for the final quality of the work. And there is still time for "True Love Waits" to guide the listener to one last ascent to the emotional limit, reinforced by the passion and depth with which Thom sings "Don't leave...," clearly alluding to true love that overcomes any obstacle; at the end, the unique piano melody fits poetically with the voice, masterfully closing 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). |
