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