On February 14, 2011, Radiohead surprised the world yet again with the release of a new album via the Internet. Unlike it was now only a few days between the announcement and the actual internet release. Reviewers were disgraced that they barely had time to review the album. But hey, with eight tracks and less than forty minutes of playing time, it is a considerably more compact album than its
… predecessors. Unfortunately, that kind of stops the surprises, because musically there is not really a new direction at first hearing and that may disappoint the fans. The long-awaited return to guitar rock from and failed to materialize. The Kings of Limbs is therefore more in line with and , but with even more musical sophistication. Take the minimal-ish Bloom, for example, with its compelling piano loops and stacked rhythmic layers. Also beautiful is Codex, a melancholic piano ballad, of which Radiohead has made only a few. This makes The Kings of Limb primarily an atmospheric album with crossovers between ambient, world music and jazz, combined with a good dose of soundscapes and electronics. (JWvR)more
