The Sky Is Falling

SONGS DELETED BY REQUEST OF THE ARTIST. BUY THOM YORKE'S "THE ERASER"

HERE

Thom Yorke's latest solo record (although he refuses to call it that. Well what is it then Mr. Artsy Pants?), 'The Eraser', is a minimalistic exorcism of the Martin Short lookalike's many demons. It could be compared to his full time band Radiohead's 'Kid A', MAYBE, but it's more stripped down than anything that band ever released. Instead, we're left with simple beats, synth lines and Yorke's haunting voice left high up in the mix, and it works.

"Harrowdown Hill" is the immediate standout track from this non-solo album (let's call it an "offshoot"). It's quite obvious that much of what is currently happening in the world terrifies Yorke, and much of 'The Eraser' voices that fear. Plain and simple, he's convinced that the world as we know it id coming to an end, and he doesn't feel fine about it. Instead he heightens the tensions by trying to scare the listener shitless as well, and although songs like "Black Swan" are chilling (as the songs says it is "fucked up"), it's not enough to make you bury your head in your moldy Y2K shelter.

"The Eraser" is a standout effort, solo or not. It's better than what most try to achieve in their musical lifetimes, and the depressing part is that it seems to come so easy to Yorke, as if this is just something he tossed off in the back in between stadium tours.