Skip to main content

Gallantly Streaming: Thom Yorke Erases A Little King Of Limbs Disappointment On Atoms For Peace Debut

Stream Atoms For Peace's AMOK here, courtesy the group's website. Bear with it, it's a little overrun at the time of posting.

Over six years removed from his solo debut The Eraser and two years following Radiohead's last album (the devastatingly underwhelming The King Of Limbs), Thom Yorke returns next week with AMOK, the debut album from supergroup of sorts Atoms For Peace.

The Eraser is a more fair point of comparison for AMOK than the work of Radiohead; comparing it to Red Hot Chili Peppers, despite Flea's involvement with the group, is pretty much pointless altogether. This is very much a Thom Yorke-driven vehicle and, as such, if you've followed his tendencies as a singer and songwriter over the last decade you pretty much know what you're in for. That's not a slight; no one creates an atmosphere quite like Thom.

So yes, this album is full of jittery beats, warped synths and deep grooves. It forgoes grabbing you by the throat in favour of burrowing under your skin, it's nine tracks squirming and oozing that signature Thom Yorke atmosphere. Much like The Eraser, it won't convert any Bends-era Radiohead fans who've been mourning the loss of their guitars for sixteen years and counting. Then again, there's no Radiohead-sized legacy to uphold here; AMOK is an exercise in boundary pushing, not foundation building.

That said, it's (upon first spin, anyway) a more vibrant and enjoyable listen than The King Of Limbs; the music may be somewhat understated, but it's consistently engaging, unlike the sporadically thrilling, often boring TKOL. And it's a fine follow-up to The Eraser, keeping the base elements of that album intact and inviting plenty of fresh sounds from his collaborators.

AMOK is, if not a great album, certainly no less than quite good, and will more than suffice to hold over fans hoping for Radiohead to bounce back on album number nine, which the band will reportedly begin work on this fall.

AMOK sees release February 26 on Beggars Banquet.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Year in Rock 2025

  Alright, I've got some explaining to do.   By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but:   a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...
Post a Comment
Read more

Year in Rock 2014: And the Winners Are...

It's been a long year, and another great one for rock n' roll. While the pop charts were overrun with barely legals obsessed with their asses, rock soldiered on undeterred even as pundits (hell, in some cases even rockers themselves) mourned the genre. Sure, rock didn't dominate the money game in 2014, but that shouldn't evoke sad nostalgia and eulogies. Even for as little perceived impact rock music made, a hell of a lot happened if people had only paid attention. From grizzled vets adding jewels to their crown (Springsteen, Petty) to new beginnings (Against Me!, Antemasque) to happy returns (Faith No More, The Tea Party) and all points in between, rock continued to thrive, evolve and thrill in 2014. Enough talk. It's winning time. Your Year in Rock winners for 2014 are...
Post a Comment
Read more

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up!  What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...
Post a Comment
Read more