I Am Back to Save the Universe

Radiohead - Ok Computer

Capitol, 1997

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This is the opposite end of electronic music from that Brainiac release. It's corporate (word was that the next Brainiac album would be...), it's soothing, it's deep and textured, it's layers upon layers.

The funny thing about Radiohead is that it's easy to listen to and easy to get into but it's really not that catchy. The melodies don't suck you in; the sounds do. A typical song off of this album has a nice riff or beat that pulls the listener in at first, but backs away into the background mostly because of repetition and the vocals that don't really follow the predictably unpredictable chord changes.

The vocals are the signature across radiohead's work, yet they don't capture what the band does well. At times it feels like the vocals are there to carry a melody, but aren't all that central to the music itself. The lyrics don't shape the mood, the ambience does.

I really wanted to mention the mix on track 3: Subterranean Homesick Alien. It's amazing. Soft organ and undistorted guitar sounds shift left and right rapidly but calmly. A harmonic structure builds from deep bassy to heavy mid with pretty much consistent tone to wrap the listener up with insulation. The whole track is comforting but disorienting.

What's nice about this album over their later work (I'm talking about Amnesiac here) is that through all of the ambience, something is still happening that captures the interest and pulls the listener in. There is a presence on Ok Computer begging to be heard, instead of just turned down while one is falling asleep.