★★★★☆
Despite their recent digital sabbatical, Radiohead have not deserted us. A Moon Shaped Pool, the band’s ninth studio album, brings with it a sharper focus than 2011’s experimental The King Of Limbs.
Radiohead are a band in constant motion; nothing remains the same for too long. This remarkable record is despairing, delicate and desolate in equal measure – and provides possibly the band’s most listenable collection of songs. Just don’t expect to relax at any time.
Here, Thom Yorke’s aching words and melodies meet with Jonny Greenwood’s textures, ones cultivated through his recent series of dystopian soundtracks (There Will Be Blood, The Master). As ever, grim truths decorate beautiful soundscapes.
The fact that the song ‘True Love Waits’ – a throwback to the 1995 Bends-era Radiohead – fits seamlessly into this record speaks to a synergy producing rich melodies at will. There’s an artisanal patience evident in finding the right avenue for tracks that have long been part of the band’s live repertoire.
As intriguing as ever in its make-up, A Moon Shaped Pool contains some beautiful arrangements, providing an unexpectedly upbeat tone to combat the gloom. From the uneasy subconscious of ‘Daydreaming’ through to the spiky guitar solo of ‘Identikit’, joy persists through menacing undertones. And the orchestral arrangements allow this album to soar.
Radiohead’sA Moon Shaped Poolis out now through XL Recordings.
