Some Songs Considered

“15 Step” – Radiohead
(Words/music: Radiohead, available on In Rainbows, ATO 2008)

If you downloaded In Rainbows that morning in October 2007, unzipped the files, and hit play on the new Radiohead that seemingly dropped out of the sky, “15 Step” greeted you.  The programmed drums, clipped of their crispness, blip and snap in an unconventional and disorienting beat.  Programmed and live drums weave together in an unconventional and somewhat disorienting beat, and Thom Yorke’s entrance follows this lead.  “How come I end up where I started” sounds like a man, literally or metaphorically, lost.  The song occasionally dips into these pockets or confusion, but never as unsettling as the opening twenty seconds.  Gradually, the song finds its footing: live drums enter and give more stability, and by the time the rest of the band joins in, the misdirection becomes a gentle (yet eerie) floating feeling. 

Appropriately, given the narrator’s confusion at the opening, the track stabilizes right as the narrator shifts from first person to second person.  “You reel me out and then you cut the string,” is the last line of the opening verse, and by the time the narrator feels stable within this lopsided rhythm, his outward turn becomes accusatory.  “You used to be alright – what happened?” he says, and now the track becomes disorienting for the listener.  This quick shift replaces the uneasiness of the opening seconds, trading rhythmic uncertainty for emotional turmoil.  Of course, this isn’t Yorke directly accosting the listener, but it still reveals a quick shift from lost and confused to a focused anger.  Generally, the pieces fall into place for the audience (or in this case, the listener).  However, here it’s the narrator who puts everything together before the audience, making the audience squirm for a minute while reconstructing the story. 

Some way to start an album, eh?

More on Radiohead: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

“I’m Amazed” – My Morning Jacket
(Words/music: Jim James, available on Evil Urges, ATO 2008)

Despite repeated endorsements from friends, including friends I trust, I never really latched on to My Morning Jacket.  I have copies of most of their albums but never really listened to them on my own.  I even saw them live with Pearl Jam in 2006 and was impressed by their musicianship despite a less than ideal situation (this, in addition to seeing James peform with Conor Oberst and M.Ward years before they became the Monsters of Folk).  Still, I never followed through on any of my “leads,” whether from other people or my own experiences with the band.  I wish I could give a concrete reason for this, but it really only comes back to a lack of time to listen to all of the records I want to hear.

Ironically, it might have been this indifference that made me take notice of the band.  The entire Evil Urges album sounds more like the fluid, shape-shifting version of the band that plays legendary sets I read about rather than the reverb-drenched Crazy Horse disciples I heard on record.  So when I spent a quiet Saturday night home with a glass of whiskey and Saturday Night Live, I wasn’t ready to be blown away by “I’m Amazed.”  I expected the band to show off their chops, but instead they played a simple, harmony-driven rock song.  Instantly, it clicked for me – with this simple song, I saw a band running on all cylinders.  Even without tricky chord changes or intricate jams, the guitars still felt forceful, especially during the solo.  Most importantly, I saw a band having fun on stage, and when I got Evil Urges, I heard the same things in the studio version as well.  Even if it’s not the most complex (or lyrically deep song), James crafted an arrangement that lets his band flourish.  While many might argue that “I’m Amazed” doesn’t accurately represent the band’s musicianship (or the eclectic sound of Evil Urges), it captures the band as a group that enjoys what it does and excels at it.

More on My Morning Jacket: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm