Zach Burger is a sophomore audio telecommunications major and writes ‘The Drop’ for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Zach at zaburger@bsu.edu.
Though Thom Yorke's most recent release, "Tomorrow's Modern Boxes," dropped Sept. 26 as a surprise album, the sound isn't anything that takes fans by surprise.
The Radiohead frontman teamed with longtime collaborator Nigel Godrich on the project.
“A Brain in a Bottle” opens the album on unsure footing with a thick, swelling bass that's soon accompanied byantsy two-step drums and half-moan, half-croon tenor vocals of Yorke himself.
Not surprisingly, the anxious dance-ability and synthesized melancholy of the opening track lasts through other tracks, including “Guess Again!” and “There Is No Ice.”
“The Mother Lode” stands on its own as the strongest track on the album. It animates the album's vibes with a hopeful energy that fits right in the pocket with the dance track drums. Featuring the instrumentation of a pop song yet constructed in a way to tell a better story than most Top 40 hits, “The Mother Lode” should've been the single of the album had one been released.
The upbeat bass riff and engulfing vocals offer a readily-available dance track. In true Yorke style, the lyrics can be comprehended (though not fully understood), complementing the instrumental yet also holding a spotlight of its own.
Songs like “Interference,” void of the iconic Godrich drumbeats, showcase Yorke individually under the aural spotlight he coaxes with pristine falsetto and subdued lines like “I don't have the right to interfere.” The expansive, bare vocals lend to the sincerity of both this track and “Truth Ray,” the album's midpoint.
After the album's intermission song, the intro to the finale begins with “There Is No Ice,” broken into the last three tracks of the album. A stark contrast from the lonely 808 rim and underwater-cave echo of the previous song, Yorke segues quickly into the hoppy house party low-end complete with tribal drums.
The infant-sounding vocal effects used by Radiohead on the album “Kid A” come into play on this song as well with its illegible lyrics yet distinctly human quality. The lyrics you can follow along with don't come until after the melting piano trick – what was long and flowing is chopped and skewered as the vocals begin to wear down as well.
Once the rubble of the piano is sloppily pieced back together, the album plays like a warped vinyl record, complete with clicks and pink noise ambience – fittingly, the tile is “Pink Section.” A salsa beat interrupts the soundscape-indulgence that Radiohead and Yorke fans love, kicking off the final track.
Perhaps the most accessible of the bunch, “Nose Grows Some” features drawn-out, almost conventional chords. The slow but persistent feel of the song tips you off that the album is winding down, if the rigid verse/chorus structure, almost uncharacteristic of Yorke's music, doesn't.
Though the title of “Nose Grows Some” transitions from the typical cryptic naming into the nonsensical, the song holds well as an end to the 15-minute epic medley and an end to the album.
With eight tracks covering 38 minutes of soundscapes and music, you can expect each song to be drawn out for just the right amount of time before starting to wonder where it will go next. About three different moods dominate several blocs of songs, yet each title claims its own character.
Utilizing yesteryear's classic Radiohead sound, “Tomorrow's Modern Boxes” proves to be a solid follow-up in Yorke's solo endeavors.
7.5/10
Read More
It's possible, and more common than many think, to fall into an abusive relationship
By Jenny Donnelly / November 25, 2024As someone who has experienced many unhealthy qualities in my relationships, getting out was the best decision I could have made for myself.
Life without my father highlighted the importance of role models in my life
By Zach Carter / November 17, 2024I don’t know if my dad knows what I’m up to or if he knows where my life is going. I’m not going to hypothesize about what happens after death, but I hope he knows I miss him every day.
We should return to the childhood artist we leave behind when we grow up
By Charlotte Jons / November 11, 2024When we were little, we explored different art forms, from finger painting to crayon art and sketchbooks. Why did we stop now that we are all grown up?
