Kid A

iTunes Review

Determined to keep evolving at a rapid pace, with album number four, 2000’s Kid A, Radiohead threw themselves into the techno world without losing their rock-based origins. Having established themselves as genuine musical inquisitors with the pop experimentalism of The Bends and the carefully layered narcotic haze of OK Computer, Radiohead took to their next step with complete dedication, not merely adding beats and electronics, but reshaping their entire sound and approach to songwriting. Kid A can be an elusive listen. The songs don’t often present hooks in traditional fashion while the rhythms sometimes upset as much as please (“In Limbo,” “Morning Bell,” “Idioteque”). “Everything In Its Right Place” opens things in an icy mood with its ethereal keyboards and muted but impatiently ticking rhythm. The title track follows with sparse keyboards and mumbled in tongue, distorted vocals. “How to Disappear Completely,” with singer Thom Yorke evoking an ominous twilight, slowly unfurls as a hypnotic piece where the dead seem to be rising over the mist. It’s more music intended for imagined movie soundtracks than the rock arena.