 The most consistent work from Radiohead in the 90s. RADIOHEAD - OK COMPUTER (1997) In their 3rd studio album, OK Computer, the British band Radiohead enters a more abstract and artistic environment, contrasting feelings in its conception guided by art-rock and art-pop, leaving some of their introspection from The Bends (1995) aside. Released in 1997, the album was produced by the group itself, with the assistance of producer Nigel Godrich in its development. With a programmed electronic drum, "Airbag" opens the work with the back-and-forth of the bass line as the traveler crosses the road under the imminent risk of a deep impact; "in an interstellar burst, I am back to save the universe…," the protagonist proclaims, reborn in the new horizon. In "Paranoid Android," the first single from the album, the piece is divided into four segments while Yorke says in his verses: "I may be paranoid, but not an android…," before the band comes in heavily and shakes the album; but it is in the verse "Rain down, rain down…" that the melody stands out with the background filling its spaces with originality, especially when the chorus emphasizes the theme. "Subterranean Homesick Alien," driven by the keyboard, takes the listener to an extraterrestrial environment, alluding to an abduction with its interesting nuances in the melody while the protagonist reveals his sorrow for not being able to share his experiences with his friends to avoid being labeled as crazy. It is a nostalgic composition that gains value with the arrival of "Exit Music (For a Film)," especially for adding the idea of liberation after hibernation from the previous journey; "breathe... keep breathing…," Yorke sings lightly with a slow and well-directed accompaniment of the instruments until the singer's majestic ascent in the climax; "now we are one in eternal peace…," he says in his song with the air of the end of a journey. Like an execution gaining space with the guitar inspired by its individual notes in harp style, the melody gains intensity with the band performing its function as if present in a great temple of contemplation, where the lyrics stand out in their verses about disappointment; in a less orthodox way, "Karma Police" is divided into two segments, starting the first part with acoustic guitar and piano until the drums dictate the rhythm very accentuated in Yorke's striking melody, while the second part gains the notoriety of an improvised musical line while the vocalist repeats: "And for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself…," raising the quality of the album. "Fitter Happier" stands out in the robotic monologue in a synthetic (and devoid of feelings) world, being a short transposition for the entry of the most rock'n'roll song of the album with its distorted guitar and its lyric full of cynicism when addressing a political theme; "when I go forwards, you go backwards and somewhere we will meet…," the protagonist cites, soon entering the chaos of "Climbing Up the Walls" with its metallic drums and ambient distortion, clamoring in its climb: "anyway if you come back, I’ll be here…," he says before the hostility takes over the place. With surprise (without intending to contradict the song's name), "No Surprises" emerges as the highlight of the album, defining in its electric guitar and acoustic guitar a sweet and pleasant atmosphere, enveloped by Yorke's harmonious and angelic voice, curiously contrasting with the subjectivity of the bitter lyrics in its acute psyche; "Lucky" continues in conflict but also interacts gently in its sound; "I feel my luck could change…," sings Yorke before the effusiveness of the composition takes on larger contours; "it will be a glorious day!", he exclaims, awaiting the guitar solo to guide the victim into a period of mutual truce, a truce reiterated in the slow passage of "The Tourist," a final moment to take your foot off the accelerator and calm down, closing the album with valuable advice: "Idiot, slow down, slow down". ★★★★ (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). |
