The Oxford lad can do no wrong!

The people behind this leak gives me the shivers. In a good way.

It doesn't take a genius to expect Thom Yorke releasing a solo effort this year. After years of relevant success with Radiohead, it was bound to take place. Ironically, 'the eraser', doesn't attempt to be avantgarde or pretentious ("anti-Radiohead") nor does it go totally astray from previous landsoundscapes explored by his day-job band. What may interest the fellow RH fan would be the diversity of the sound; the approach for audio output that would have most fans know this is indeed a work by a SOLO ARTIST. 'the eraser' is engineered by none other than Nigel Godrich, who's helmed all RH works since Street Spirit off 'The Bends'. It is interesting to note that several tracks off the record do borrow samples from older RH works stretching from 'OK Computer' to 'Hail To The Thief'.

My first experience with this album came about the middle of last week. Thinking of it initially and trying my utmost best to define it, I dubbed this 'the real Kid B', as will most listeners with their pre-sale/leaked listens of it. Rivaling Beck's 'Guero' occasionally, 'the eraser' is an orchestral composition comprising of trip-hop arrangements by the route of DJ Shadow and aided with beatnik philosophies as Yorke's lyrical forte. Unlike 'Kid A', 'the eraser' will most likely take the avid RH fan only less than three listens to sink in this richly layered album. It sounds depressing as usual, unlikely to break new heights in music but definitely noteworthy as a major release this year.

Download some tracks, for a limited time only. Be good and buy the album when it hits your local stores.

Skip Divided | And It Rained All Night | Analyse | Black Swan (highly recommended!)

A remix album in August, Thommie?