Despite liking pop, house jazz and all kinds of upbeat sounds that wouldn’t push me deeper into seasonal depression, it seems every winter brings me back to Radiohead. As an artist, Radiohead’s unique and groundbreaking sound has always captivated me. Though their discography is arguably perfect, there are few albums that I listen straight through, one of them being “Kid A.”
“Kid A,” Radiohead’s fourth studio album, marked a completely different sound for the band after having produced three stellar progressive rock albums by utilizing electronic elements, synth sounds and experimental style. The album itself has been marked as a “resistant concept album,” a subgenre to a concept genre.
The definition of a concept album is widely debated. Many people insist a concept album must have a clear story or narrative, like “The Wall” by Pink Floyd or “Preacher’s Daughter” by Ethel Cain — however, modern concept albums don’t really fit this definition. Instead, the idea of a concept album has expanded to include albums with cohesive themes, like “Melodrama” by Lorde or “Blonde” by Frank Ocean.
A “resistant concept album,” like “Kid A,” is an album with clear unity, but no clear interpretation, whether it be lyrical, musical or narrative interpretation. Though the album itself has multiple interpretations, whether it be the expression of the band’s depression and exhaustion post-tour for their album “OK Computer” to exploring the emotions of the first human clone in a dystopian world named “Kid A,” the album is a beautiful, cohesive work that deserves the title of a concept album.
As sad as it is every time I break down an album, I only have the space to truly explore three songs. Firstly, the fourth track of the album, “How to Disappear Completely,” is arguably one of the best songs Radiohead has ever produced. The song is based on lead vocalist and songwriter Thom Yorke’s dream of floating around a city. Heavy lyrics and haunting melodies come together to encapsulate the out-of-body experience of Yorke’s dream. The song begins with a guitar accompanied by an eerie violin track, as Yorke sings, “That there, that’s not me / I go where I please.” The lyrics of the chorus, “I’m not here, this isn’t happening” repeat over and over as the song slowly crescendos and captures the hallucinatory feeling of his dream.
However, the chorus lyrics also reflect advice from Micheal Stipe, Yorke’s friend and member of the band R.E.M., who told Yorke to repeat the words when dealing with the strain of the attention and pressure that accompanies going on tour. It captures the dissociative feeling of being watched and made to perform in front of an audience.
The eighth track, “Idioteque,” captures the deterioration of the band’s mental health throughout the tour while still utilizing the politically charged lyrics Radiohead is known for. The sound itself is unique, even to the album with techno-beats and strange synth melodies that are surprising and, initially, uncomfortable to hear. It took multiple listens for me to even consider liking the song, but the track’s strange sound ultimately grew on me.
The lyrics themselves discuss a warlike scene with women and children being ushered into shelters as an oncoming weather apocalypse sets in. The lyrics about the oncoming ice age and the repeated line “We’re not scaremongerin’ / This is really happening” are a commentary on the global warming debate and the consequences of the arrival of climate disaster, pleading for people to listen to them and believe the truth about global warming.
The feeling of the song itself captures the mental breakdown with its seemingly nonsensical and repeating lyrics. At one point, the melody completely drops to leave the listener with the drums and a strange sample that is reminiscent of a voice speaking. It’s pitched high to leave a strange, reverse-sounding whine in the background of tech beats, reminiscent of the harsh breathing that accompanies breakdowns and panic attacks.
The final song I’d like to talk about, the second to last song on the album, is “Motion Picture Soundtrack.” The song opens with synth pianos that remind me particularly of church organs. The chords and sound are meant to evoke deep emotion, with long notes and heartbreaking lyrics to accompany a desolate melody.
Every time I listen, I feel as if the song is over too quickly — perhaps on purpose to capture the depressing feeling of the tour ending, whether that be too quickly or the heartbreak of the tour in its entirety. Though Radiohead’s experience on tour for “OK Computer” was exhausting and depressing, part of me can only hope that they still ultimately loved performing. “Motion Picture Soundtrack” is a depressing love letter that opens with the lines, “Red wines and sleeping pills / Help me get back to your arms” — the need for substances to even achieve a semblance of the strain the tour took on the band’s mental and physical health. “It’s not like the movies,” but the song can’t help but feel hopeful toward touring, a crescendo accompanied by glissando notes and operatic vocals in the background and a promise to “see you in the next life.” Despite the pain of the tour, perhaps Yorke couldn’t wait to do it again.
If you are looking for some unique synths and beats to keep your head up this winter, “Kid A” is the album for you. In fact, I’d recommend you listen to all their albums while you’re at it. “In Rainbows,” “The Bends” and “OK Computer” are arguably all concept albums in their own rights. Though synth isn’t my favorite sound, Radiohead’s tasteful use of techno sounds made me fall in love with the genre as a whole — maybe it can do the same for you.