Kid A is the fourth album from British rock band, Radiohead. I’ve heard quite a few songs of theirs that I really like, but I’m not exactly a die hard fan of the band. All five of their members are extremely talented individuals (Thom Yorke: lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, Jonny Greenwood: guitar, keyboards, etc, Colin Greenwood: bass, Ed O’Brien: guitar, backing vocals, and Philip Selway: drums, percussion) and their band has made an everlasting impact on music. Even though I find some of their fans to be kind of snobby and pretentious at times, there really isn’t a bad Radiohead album in existence. Their music has pushed the boundaries of what rock can be defined as, and for that I have nothing but admiration for the band. Anyways, a bit about this album, it was a huge departure sonically from their previous three albums, and it divided audiences at the time, but in retrospect it has been regarded as one of their best albums. It’s very electronic sounding, which put some people off I guess, but I personally think it’s important to shake things up a bit when it comes to sound, as going for the same exact style just gets boring after a while. It turns 25 years old on October 4th, as it was released that day in 2000, and the album was promoted with zero lead singles. Here are my thoughts on the album.

    We start off the album with the track, “Everything in Its Right Place,” which features heavy use of synthesizers, no percussion or guitars, and really twitchy and twisted vocal manipulation. I for one absolutely love it, it’s experimental and eerie sounding, and I love the electronic style production. The lyrics are pretty straight forward but Thom Yorke is singing about the state of the world and trying to find out where we all belong in it. The track covers themes of depression, change, and feeling lost and confused. Following that, “Kid A,” is noticeable for its compressed vocals, minimal percussion, and lyrical ambiguity. I love that simple bass riff near the end, and the whole track as a whole just makes me feel like I’m in outer space. “The National Anthem,” has this simple but effective bass loop that serves as the foundation for the rest of the track. The production is isolating and haunting and lyrically very vague. Out of nowhere we get a cacophony of saxophones and horns that just completely ambush us. It’s extremely abrasive, and if I had to choose a track off this thing I didn’t like I’d very quickly answer that it’s “The National Anthem,” (please don’t deport me to El Salvador, President Trump). Finally, we get the inclusion of acoustic guitar on “How to Disappear Completely,” from Yorke. The track lyrically is based on a dream that Thom had where he running naked being chased by a tidal wave in Dublin’s River Liffey. Quite an interesting inspiration to say the least, but its easily one of the best written songs on the entire album. The slow, shuffle of the drums paired with these hauntingly beautiful orchestral strings create this feeling as if we, the listeners, are frozen in time, lost in some frozen planet covered in snow and ice. “Treefingers,” is an instrumental interlude which, despite sounding like a synthesizer, is actually multiple layers of samples of Ed O’Brien’s guitar. It really is a great segue into the next song, “Optimistic.” Finally, we get electric guitar! Thematically the track covers the greed and destructiveness of consumerism and capitalism. I really love the industrial, machine like sound of the production and the message that the best we can do is good enough. “In Limbo,” is another track with a dream-like sound to it both lyrically and instrumentally. The themes are loneliness, being lost, as well as the sea. It actually was originally supposed to be titled, “Lost at Sea,” but “limbo,” takes on multiple interpretations which I think can be seen as the place between heaven and hell, where our souls end up, or as Thom Yorke’s writer’s block (which he experienced a lot of in the making of this album). “Idioteque,” lyrically has a very environmentalist and pacifist message to it as Yorke is describing what the world will look like after either a nuclear holocaust or when climate change becomes completely irreversible. I love the razor-like synths and electronic drums on the track. The title is also really fitting, because the people running the world are idiots, they were idiots back then, and they’re especially idiots now. “Morning Bell,” is a track I and others interpret as a song about divorce and the emotions that come with it, but is about a house that Thom bought which he claimed in an interview, had a ghost in it. “Motion Picture Soundtrack,” is the most depressing track on this album, which for an album that is primarily about loneliness, depression and feeling lost, really speaks volumes. The melancholy organs in the background make it feel as if we’re at a funeral, this funeral being a representation over lost love and overall depression. A hauntingly beautiful finale to a great record.

     It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but to write off Kid A was a mistake by so many critics at the time. This album goes to show how as years pass, we appreciate certain albums later on that we didn’t when they first came out. The experimental nature of this album isn’t meant for alternative rock purists, it’s meant to push boundaries and aside from one track I was thoroughly impressed with this thing. Expect more reviews of the band in the future. 

Overall Score: 9/10

Favorite Tracks: “Everything in Its Right Place,” “Kid A,” “How to Disappear Completely,” “Optimistic,” “In Limbo,” “Idioteque,”

Least Favorite Tracks: “The National Anthem,"

Listen: https://youtu.be/NUnXxh5U25Y?si=p2iBb5CNVzUxUGHK

Genres: Experimental Rock/Electronica/Art Rock/Post Rock