Radiohead - Airbag/How Am I Driving? [EP] [Limited Edition]

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Music reviews of Airbag/How Am I Driving? [EP] [Limited Edition]

Music Review: An Excellent EP unlike any RH album
Rating: 4 Stars

Stylistically, the album seems somewhere in between The Bends and OK Computer, although not quite "classifiable" as either.

"Meeting in the Aisle" is unlike anything I have ever heard from Radiohead, and is to my mind the best track on the album. It has an electronic, almost world-beat kind of sound, and I admire the unusual scale and pitch bending used here, which gives it hints of Asia or the Middle East. This appealed very much to me as a fan of artists such as Pink Floyd, Rick Wright, and Peter Gabriel, who seem to delight in intricately layered, synth and effect-heavy, unusual pieces. The other thing I appreciate...although one might tend to automatically think of it as dark, like almost all other Radiohead pieces, this one has in my opinion room for interpretation by the listener. Most of the time I love Thom Yorke's singing, but this was definitely one time where he was most effective by NOT singing--this song does not have to be melancholy. It can be if you want, but it can also be adventurous, exciting, mysterious, and even uplifting if you are not too put-off by the unusual scales. This is an overlooked gem!

"Airbag", of course, is an excellent track, which featured on OK Computer, where I think it was one of the standout tracks along with "Subterranean Homesick Alien", "Let Down", and "Climbing up the Walls".

"Pearly": Some very interesting guitar tones from Jonny Greenwood here, and an entrancing rhythm that seems typical of the Bends/OK Computer era. Was not one of the major standouts, though.

"A Reminder": This track had an almost Pink Floyd-like connotation; the ambient sound effects were reminiscent of many PF works, and the keyboard work sounds quite similar to Rick Wright's ethereal Farfisa work typical of earlier albums such as More and Ummagumma. This immediately drew me in, and I very much enjoyed it.

"Polyethylene": Promising, but it had a raw, unfinished sound. I am wondering, though--was this deliberate? It sounds remarkably like something from Syd Barrett's The Madcap Laughs, where due to Mr. Barrett's problems at the time, there were a lot of interruptions, abrupt changes in the music, and overheard comments from the studio. I especially like what this track turns into in Part 2, particularly the synth and the crisp percussion work.

"Melatonin": Beautiful, lyrical synth-string work here, very melancholy (perhaps the word the song's title is intended to evoke?). It has an almost yearning sound to it reminiscent of the end of "Street Spirit" ("Immerse your soul in love..."). I admit I cannot understand the lyrics, so I'm going on the *tone* of the music and voice alone. It actually becomes very uplifting. I like the way the bass and percussion are understated here--very effective with that synth work. This is one of the songs, though, that I wish were extended into a fuller piece, so it does indeed leave a sense of yearning, wanting something more that doesn't quite come.

"Palo Alto": An enjoyable, rocking tune, but as with "Pearly", not a total standout from the rest of their Bends/OK Computer-era work.

All in all, a quality effort that I consider myself very lucky to have found, but its major flaw is that it leaves the listener wanting...where is the rest? It would certainly be nice to see some of these ideas extended, espeically "Meeting in the Aisle", "Melatonin", "A Reminder", and "Polyethylene".

Description of Airbag/How Am I Driving? [EP] [Limited Edition]

Alternative Rock CDs

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