(pair of mirrors)

#10. Radiohead - The King of Limbs

“Lotus Flower”

The King of Limbs is a kind of album that gets better with every week that goes by. In January, when King of Limbs came out, I was intrigued by the album. By the summer, I was hooked. Now, I’m in love.  

The King of Limbs is great because, on pretty much every song, you hear elements of the kind of musical song-crafting which made Radiohead such a widely renowned band in the first place. The runny piano that opens “Bloom” and closes the album on “Separator” is one example. The piano melody is sporadic, cryptic, and intense – just like The King of Limbs, and just like Radiohead. But at the same time, the fact that the album opens and closes with the same riff implies that there is meaning and purpose to that little piano. And that’s the great thing about Radiohead – nothing is ever random, even if it appears so. Radiohead is the great philosopher-band of our time. 

It is also impossible to talk about The King of Limbs and not talk about “Lotus Flower”, as well as its truly magnificent video. On “Lotus Flower” Thom Yorke shows how much of a virtuoso-mastermind he really is. The song itself joins the ranks of all-time best Radiohead songs, up there with “Karma Police” and “Idioteque”. And then there’s the video - the way Thom moves to the beat of his own music, the way he mouths his own words, really the way he becomes one with his music is simply stunning. 

Overall, The King of Limbs is a classic album. It may not be Radiohead’s best album ever, but that’s an incredibly high mark to clear. Rather, The King of Limbs is as good as any album that came out in 2011, and definitely better than most. 

-L