Thom Yorke: The Eraser
Thom Yorke, The Eraser
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Friday, 04, Aug 2006 01:58
XL, Out now
In a nutshell..
Electronic, persistent, nonchalant, political, spooky
What's it all about?
Thom Yorke's solo album is a cryptic and heightened political level Kid A.
There are nine new songs that have snippets of Radiohead sampling jabbed in rather incoherently. Jonny Greenwood appears in the musical credits, but any Greenwood guitar is drowned out by persistent electro beats that pulsate through every track. The album is produced by Nigel Godrich (long-term Radiohead collaborator) and is without doubt better for it. The first track, The Eraser, begins slow and difficult but breaks out with anger and passion. This sets the scene for the album; it breaks out occasionally but feels stunted.
Who's it by?
Thom Yorke is one of the most famous rock stars to grace the stage.
Radiohead are without debt one of the most successful and popular bands on the planet, however they make the records they want to make and push new boundaries creatively. This can result in true pop gems like Fake Plastic Trees or 2+2=5, but can also produce the majority of Kid A which had few standout tracks. Thom Yorke was perhaps the force behind the electro direction and this divided opinion quite drastically.
As an example.
"The more they try to erase me/ The more that I appear"
Yorke is perhaps hitting out at those who attack him or showing that he won't be silenced in his many political protests. Regardless, this is the standout track and the one that makes his 'solo' mark. It also highlights Yorke's attitude to those who question his decisions on musical direction, he'll simply come back stronger and with a new direction.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys.
The critics in the music media will love this and Yorke has a Mercury nomination already in the bag. Which isn't bad for an album that had been out for a matter of weeks when the board announced the nominees. The Eraser has done well in the states, and the Radiohead fan base will ensure that the album is in the public consciousness for some time.
What the others say
The NME: "Like Kid A, The Eraser will split Radiohead fans. Some will mourn its lack of viscera; its coldness; its reluctance to rock. But it's yet another revealing glimpse into Yorke's cryptic inner-world, and one that has the courage not to hide its political message in code. Kid B? Yeah."
Rolling Stone: "They're something different, something we haven't heard before. Lieutenant Yorke is asking new questions, looking for clues to the same old mystery: how to appear, incompletely."
So is it any good?
Thom Yorke isn't bothered about reviews, that's why he makes records the way he wants them to sound. It's a rare talent and an admirable one; however there is always the chance that he could get it wrong. The Eraser isn't a bad album, and it could have been far less accessible with the Kid A benchmark set so far away from the mainstream. However it isn't as complete or as interesting as a Radiohead album, and ironically it seems to lack ideas. The Eraser is a great first track and one that grabs your attention immediately, it continues in a good vein in Skip Divided. Harrowdown Hill is another good track, taking its name from the location where Dr David Kelly was found after apparently committing suicide. It's an obvious attack on Tony Blair (Yorke is an outspoken opponent of the Iraq war) when Yorke sings, "Don't walk the plank like I did/ You will be dispensed with".
There's no doubting the power and stature of this album but Yorke struggles to hold attention for the whole record. Nine songs doesn't seem long but they're not three-minute gems, this album can feel lost half way through when you miss the sound of the full band. The fact that Thom Yorke refuses to call it a 'solo' record doesn't distance it from Radiohead, and you find yourself wishing that the others would emerge soon. Radiohead needs Thom Yorke, but Thom Yorke still needs Radiohead.
6/10
Karl Pike