A surprise solo album by the frontman of one of the most innovative bands that have been around in the last 20 years surprisingly yields so-so results. The second of the band to do so (Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood’s 2003 release Bodysong was the first), Thom Yorke’s album, The Eraser sounds like the possible lost second side of Kid A rather than an attempt at breaking free of what he already knows. Using the electronic tricks and piano that his band have used on their last few recordings to define their sound and direction with, have been put into equal use here.
From the get-go, the electronic building blocks have been set up. The album is a mix of computer technology and an ambient swirling of sounds built around Radiohead song structure. It’s hard not to compare Yorke’s solo with his band because they are one in the same. The album is a good solo outing, but unfortunately it does everything you would expect from him, which is the biggest let down as you listen and hope for a surprise change of direction. It’s hard to knock someone who is light years ahead of the musicians of his generation, but the album overall sounds familiar in all respects.
Working with famed producer Nigel Godrich, Yorke incorporates his beautiful vocal harmonies along with Godrich’s mastery of electronic production technique, making the album as a whole feel like one long score. “Cymbal Rush,” one of the first tracks the world got to hear is a prime example of the computerized foreplay you can expect from The Eraser, which is an ambient, sometimes dramatic set of songs blended with the telling vocals and current-events-heavy lyrics of one of the worlds most recognizable singers out there today. |