Thom Yorke's records are best heard late at night these days. As darkness encloses all around I'm listening to Tall Tales his latest release. A collaboration with Mark Pritchard. Another nervous and skittery album undepinned by sturdy electro pulses and melodies. With Yorke voice soaring occasionally in the centre of the mix like a strident Cassandra. The role he's inhabited in varuois guises for over thirty years now.
I'm not a completist Yorke or Radiohead follower by any means. I just find whenever I catch any record that he's involved in these days I think ummediately that his work is sheer quality. Authoritative without ever being authoritarian. A voice in the wilderness.
A kneejerk counter response might be that his work is depressing but I don't think that applies.The world is depressing and haunting and scary in many, many respects. Especially these days. It's increasingly difficult to avert your eyes from the absolute carnage that meets the eye almost everywhere you look.
But I never find Yorke's work exploitative of misery. Quite the contrary. This is support. Succour. This is more great work.
This track randomly popped up on Spotify for me yesterday and I rather liked it. Must listen to the album. I'm not a completist, either, and sometimes need a push to listen.
ReplyDeleteMe too Darren. But whenever I listen I always think, that guys pretty great. Best late at night I thought.
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