Radiohead have mastered showmanship in the 21st century. They excel at every aspect of their craft and performance, from musicianship to marketing - it's no mistake that they've just released their most mature album. In Rainbows is refined, and in the same vein as previous releases, carrying the usual undertones of slick, dark alt-pop just under the surface... this time, that undercurrent bubbles up and rears its ugly head. This record feels a lot like what Year Zero means to the career of Nine Inch Nails. Both acts have been around long enough that even if they put in an undercooked effort, they will still sell a boatload of albums and have all the reason in the world to tour to their respective rabid fan bases. Both acts are also no longer under major label contracts, allowing them to take all the risks that their former bosses wouldn't have the guts to pull off, such as releasing albums for free. It's not like they need the money, right?
It's no coincidence that the Trent Reznor-produced Saul Williams album has been given a similar release format to In Rainbows, save for the "guilting-you-into-buying-intellectual-property" act. I can't shake the feeling that Mr. Williams is a willing guinea pig in testing the waters for an upcoming NIN release.
Something to think about (for about six seconds): YZ clocks in at 63:42, nearly as long as Reznor's longest single LP, The Downward Spiral, and IR comes in as the band's shortest studio LP, at 42:34.
Read:
Trent Reznor, Saul Williams interview
At Ease [#1 Radiohead fan site]
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