The July issue of Playboy has a review of Hail to the Thief:
RADIOHEAD*HAIL TO THE THIEF
Call the cops. Somebody swiped the band
Thom Yorke’s voice, evocative of an emotional free fall, has always been the source of Radiohead’s success. But on this latest release, his wails and single-word repetitions have become self-indulgent. Couple that with the fact that he has again largely shelved his once-ferocious band in favor of blips, bleeps and Casio beats, and you’ve got trouble. There is still interesting stuff going on here, and when Yorke lets the rest of the boys in the studio, there are magical moments (I Will, There There). More often, things fall apart, as on 2+2=5, which opens with mournful guitars and then careens into an unhinged coda with Yorke shouting “penetration.” The less charitable might be inclined to wonder whether The Bends and OK Computer were flukes. -Tim Mohr
(thanks to Steven)
