IN RAINBOWS by Radiohead is one of my favorite albums of all time, and its only right to have it be the first review on my site. Not only should every music head listen to this album, but everyone in general. Some may say that OK Computer was Radiohead’s magnum opus, I say it’s IN RAINBOWS. It’s such a beautiful culmination of all the struggles, transformations, and identity crisis that the band has had. It took them several years to record some of these incredible tracks, and it shows.

The record starts off with an electric track. Listeners are instantly thrown into unknown territory with the confusing and wonderful journey that is 15 Step. I found myself easily getting lost in the mesmerizing drum loop with punchy, distorted kicks and loud claps. Once the infectious acoustic guitar is introduced, it’s game over. The track slowly builds and the bass is introduced, leading to an extremely groovy track. The thing I love most about listening to this album in order is that no two tracks sound the same. They were all recorded in different places so you can hear the different nuances of each recording studio and setup. After 15 Step we take a sharp left turn into the whirlwind of a track that is Bodysnatchers. This track is relevant to Radiohead’s roots, taking a more punk, alternative, and traditional path. Bodysnatchers keeps the distortion from the previous track, yet instead of distorting the drums, its a heavy, thick, electric guitar. The next track, Nude, is one of Radiohead’s most extraordinary songs. It took them over a decade to finally put the song together on tape and it shows. The song has an infectious yet eerie vibe that is perfect for walking in the woods. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi is probably the most well known song on the album due to its success on Tiktok. The crescendo and fall of the track, combined with the thematic arpeggiators creates an addicting tune. All I Need is probably my least favorite track due to its lack of substance. The drums and guitars just feel empty and even though this track is outstanding compared to other music out there, compared to the rest of this album, it’s underwhelming. The next two tracks, Faust Arp and Reckoner, have the same vibe as Bodysnatchers and Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, with building melodies and the whiney (in a good way) voice of Thom Yorke. In House of Cards we are enveloped by reverb and spacey lyrics, which reminds me of acrylic glass and mirrors. We need to take a step back for this next track. Jigsaw Falling Into Place is my second favorite song of all time, and let me tell you why. The acoustic work on this song is incredible. With a 12 bar loop, you never get sick of this song. When the drums and bass are introduced we get a tight and streamlined 3 part act. Part One is introducing us to the groove, Part Two is when Thom Yorke does his thing and begins to belt his lyrics as the guitars grow more distorted. My personal favorite is Part Three, when background vocals come in and the 12 bar loop switches. This part is an extremely emotional part of the album and in my opinion should have been the final track. But alas, the album ends with Videotape. Its sad lyrics and background vocals does not do IN RAINBOWS, Radiohead’s magnum opus justice. It just doesn’t. It’s an anticlimactic finish which would have been placed better as a spotlight right after Nude, pairing their similar moods.