Burn the Witch

I love this track like hell. It’s probably gonna end up way high in my songs of the year list. The stringy instruments, that buzzing beat in the back, you could feel the paranoia in the song. Normally I’m not that big on songs about current political and social issues. I didn’t even like that MIA track that come out last year or so. But imo Radiohead songs have always been about how humans treat things like alienation and conformity and how these play along with them “tryna do the right thing”. These are pretty well executed in this song where the refugee crisis is depicted as pretty much like a witch hunt.

Daydreaming

When I first saw the music video for this (apparently directed by Paul Thomas Anderson) I wasn’t that into it, but it grew on me on subsequent listens. One thing about me is im a sucker for the “wife left me” song/move/book. It doesn’t matter what medium it is in, it draws me in. so I might like this track a bit more than I should. The instrumentation on this track is beautiful, and progresses with decent buildup. The stripped down lyrics work well with the music. Yorke going, “…it’s too late/the damage is done” and then completely giving up and going hermit mode worked pretty well, imo. It’s a decent track, this one. Not overly gaga over it, but it works for me.

Decks Dark

First thing I noticed about this track while listening, is it’s pretty groovy. When the chorus first came out, it was a bit annoying for me? But then the song slowly started getting into motion, and when the chorus returned for the second time, it felt pretty smooth and completely in sync with the song. The guitar bits were funky and by the time the outro was playing, I pretty much kept grooving along.

Desert Island Disk

My first reaction to this was this would be one of those mediocre sahara blues type songs. The title refers to a radio talk show where guests talk about the songs they’d choose to take with them if they’re stranded on an island. The lyrics fit well to that theme. It has a nice tune. I feel like it’s one of those songs that you need be in a certain, morose mood to appreciate it at its full extent.

Ful Stop

I don’t like how the horns play out in the background here. I understand their need to be in the track, to get that ominous feeling out, but they could’ve done it differently cause I feel like it’s the sort of stuff I’ve heard too much already in dramatic sequences in movies and stuff. When the strings finally show up, the song gets more interesting. I’ve been told how the song’s about a person going through flashback mode and recaps to see how his relationship went, and I guess you can say it’s about that. Certainly explains the atmospheric, driving music and the drony repetition.

Glass Eyes

Decent song.

Identikit

I don’t know what the mumbling at the start was meant to be. Reddit thinks it was Yorke going “A moon shaped pool” but I have my doubts. I like this song a lot. The opening verses have a very romantic feel to it which had a really cool transition to him going “Broken hearts make it rain”. Love the guitars on this. This is one of the highlights of the album. It’s a sweet ballad, but tinged with Radiohead eccentrics.

The Numbers

Radiohead goes literal on this track, with Yorke talking about the moon’s influence on our climate in the starting verses. I don’t have a lot to say about this. It’s a pretty good song. I like how the keys and the strumming mix together. It’s a nice enough song about global warming and the good thing about this is that the lyrics don’t go all activist on you, but doesn’t shroud itself in mind-numbing apocalyptic metaphors to scare you into being onboard either.

Present Tense

Didn’t care for it.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief

This one’s pretty groovy as well. I like how all the instruments seem very minimal and jam together nicely. The orchestra on this was amazing. I listen to this track mainly so that I could get to the latter part to hear that cinematic, descending strings.

True Love Waits

The lyrics on this thing are sad, even in context of Radiohead who are supposedly infamous for being “sad”. It’s just how Yorke tries to frantically get his “lover” to stay. The desperation is devastating, if you’re listening to this in the right mood.