19 December 2007
tell your friends...
Words by Jacob Henneman // Illustration by Zack Sultan
Most of those who thought Thom Yorke going solo with The Eraser was blasphemy have now eaten their words. And if you haven’t, consider the fact that much of the vocal arranging from that album that was so successful was transferred onto In Rainbows. Much of the credit goes to Nigel Godrich for convincing a self-conscious Yorke that his voice really was appealing to the masses. Yorke saying his voice isn’t great is like Jordan saying he is just mediocre at hoops. The same technique of bringing his voice to the front and making it unashamedly intimate by removing a lot of the muck and reverb was carried over from his solo album at the request of the rest of the band. It’s an album that is rather intimate with tracks like “Nude,” Videotape”, and “All I Need (“I’m just an animal, trapped in your hot car”). Some have taken to dubbing this “Radiohead’s sexy album.”
Sexy or not, his voice has become a microcosm of the evolution of the band over the last few years. They were exhausted after Hail – lest we forget they are husbands and fathers not just guys in a band – and it feels like the four years plus between Hail and In Rainbows served nicely as a rejuvenation of the mind and body of the band and the voice of Yorke. And if you are not yet convinced of the mighty power of his vocal chords, visit your local ear, nose and throat doctor immediately, or go to the three minute mark of “Nude” and prepare to be dumbstruck.
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been wondering about thisone for a while