Culture

Nearly three and a half years after their masterpiece In Rainbows, Radiohead return with The King of Limbs, which can only be described as a challenging album.
With the first few listens reaping little reward, it would be safe to describe this release as one for the Radiohead devotees. In the album's initial tracks it is clear that the five-piece have reverted back to the electronic orchestration of the Kid A/Amnesiac era, though as the album progresses it becomes evident that there are many dimensions beyond this.
 
Opener 'Bloom' is a difficult start, mixing swirling ambience, piano trills and stunted beats. However, what is detrimental to the piece is the lack of development, which spans over five minutes but offers little of what similarly lengthy tracks 'National Anthem' or 'Life in a Glass House' have done on earlier albums. This meandering vibe filters throughout the album, though the calibre of the band is such that periodical monophony is tolerable. Yorke reaffirms his mastery of melody on album hooks 'Little by Little' and the astoundingly great 'Lotus Flower', the latter very much the pinnacle of the release. From this track onwards the album changes significantly, with relaxed, thickly-reverbed ballads 'Codex', 'Give Up the Ghost' and 'Seperator' reflecting an aesthetic contrary to initial impressions. In short, TKOL offers an expansive variety of what Radiohead can offer. Clocking in at thirty-seven minutes with only eight tracks, many may feel a little disappointed, especially given the prolonged wait between albums. Nevertheless this is another amazing release and as with all Radiohead albums it is essential to re-listen and review.

3/5