After the restless experimentation which characterised Radiohead's 'Amnesiac' and 'Kid A', fans were pleased to hear earlier this year that Thom Yorke and co. had 'rediscovered guitars'. However, those expecting a return to the spectacular riffing of 'The Bends' may be disappointed.
Although Hail to the Thief does bring guitars prominently back into the mix, they remain just one instrument amongst many which are used to great effect. Even guitar heavy tracks such 2+2=5 and former single There There are driven as much by the rhythm section as riffery - when Jonny Greenwood gets a solo in There There it seems to be curtailed before he's really got going. This is a good template for much of the album - just when old school fans think they are going to get their guitar fix, songs are suddenly turned on their head with electronica and drum machines.
And that's the point - although this album is allegedly a return to form and a shift away from experimentalism(something of a contentious point if - like me - you loved Kid A and Amnesiac), much of it remains as wilfully obscure as anything Radiohead have done in the last five years - Myxomatosis is based around one of the most absurdly convoluted riffs to have graced an album in recent times, and The Gloaming and Backdrifts are awash with guitar samples and drum machines which would not have been out of place on Kid A or Amnesiac.
The short track 'I Will' deserves a mention - clocking in as probably Radiohead's shortest ever song it features a minimalist guitar line over which Thom Yorke and Ed O'Brien harmonise beautifully. In context with the rest of the album with its restless rhythms and complex arrangements I Will is a brief oasis of calm and reflection which just serves to highlight the genius of the rest of the album. That's not to say there isn't filler on this album - A Punchup at a Wedding and Scatterbrain are fine songs but don't really add anything to what has already gone before. If the album finished after track ten it really would be perfect - the following four songs just aren't necessary. But in the end that's a minor quibble - with Hail to the Thief Radiohead have shown that they can carry on innovating and pushing themselves to their musical limits and still create a collection of songs which can move and inspire. There are so many ideas in this album that it takes a while to get to grips with - that's probably why it's hardly been out of my cd player for the last three weeks...
