By: Marike Watson
In the wake of anticipation for the new album why not take a quick analytical look at the latest lick of sound Britain’s moodiest post-punk group offered our ears this past festive season? Christmas day saw the release of Radiohead’s rejected Bond theme, the sweeping orchestral 3-minute journey simply titled ‘Spectre’. In their established tradition of surprising fans with what ultimately seems like spontaneous decision-making, Radiohead not only shared this track without warning, but made it freely available too. With over 4.7 million plays currently on SoundCloud one can only piece ‘Spectre’ as part of the group’s unconventionally appealing musical puzzle.
There’s something charismatic about the way they released the song, mentioning in the caption how it became something of their own, something which they “love very much”. This form of self-approval is slightly irrelevant when observing the critical praise ‘Spectre’ accumulated the past two months, but it’s not often artists elevate their work without numbers or sales to justify its significance or quality (this obviously doesn’t apply to Kanye West).
‘Spectre’ undoubtedly finds it spot within Radiohead’s collective anthology, with or without the commercial incentive of a soundtrack feature. If this is perhaps a small taste of what one can expect from the forthcoming ninth album then a break from Radiohead’s current electronic trajectory could be expected too. Their latest record The King of Limbs (2011) neatly transitioned alongside Yorke’s electronic side-projects as a record filled with several synthesized, looped, and processed sounds. Tracks like ‘Codex’ and ‘Give up the Ghost’ even presented looped tricks in stripped-down, minimalist ways. ‘Spectre’ interestingly introduces something a little different, yet not entirely different from what Radiohead has already done before. The dragging offbeat piano is somewhat reminiscent of Amnesiac’s ‘Pyramid Song’ while Yorke’s vocal falsetto is reminiscent of every Radiohead album ever (no complaints here though, apart from Pablo Honey, but let’s not get into that right now). There is also the orchestral feel of the track that boasts both a prolific string and brass section. It’s nearly as if three minutes doesn’t offer the orchestral component enough room to develop, which is hopefully indicative of more to come.
So what is it about ‘Spectre’ that should make you excited for the imminent and eagerly awaited release of a new record? One thing Radiohead has made clear throughout their career is that stagnation is not an option. Each record has thus evolved with an intrinsic unique flair that has fortunately seen success amongst the fans. They don’t only cater to one mood or group – but to several – and they do it well. ‘Mood’ is the key word here, predominantly due to the fact that the group are often politicised and considered moody, but more importantly also due to the dominant generic classification of Radiohead as an angsty-emotional band. ‘Spectre’ in a manner challenges that perception of angst, and everyone who only knows the lyrics to ‘Creep,’ with a polite classical jab in the form of a wonderfully assembled piece of music. In this sense ‘Spectre’ challenges preconceptions of the band and fuels their fanbase’s hunger for new tunes almost simultaneously. It’s an edge Radiohead seemingly manage to retain, remaining relevant in their own incomparable way.
Look out for the new album, set to exclusively premiere at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona during the first week of June. For now, however, have a listen to their Christmas gift below:
