A Moon Shaped Pool - Radiohead

[Jonse]

Thoughts?

[Mexicola]

Superb. Ordered.

[b0qurant]

I've been a huge Radiohead fan for a long time and consider five of their albums (now six, I guess) in my all-time favorites, no doubt.

I enjoyed The King of Limbs, but wasn't exactly impressed with it and it didn't have staying power for me; so I had kind of accepted that they were perhaps done writing music that would challenge and move me.

I am blown away by A Moon Shaped Pool. It's kind of hard to articulate right now 'cause it's so new and I'm still getting to know these songs. But thematically, atmospherically, sonically, etc. this album is magnificent.
It's hard to understand how they can possibly keep writing at this level over the amount of time they have (about 30 years or so they've been a band) but, well, they just do.

Obviously need a lot more time with this one, and time will tell, but right off the bat (with about five full listens or so 'under my belt') I think it's up there with their best releases and will be incredibly rewarding with repeated listens.

[portiss]

It's amazing. I've been under the weather with a really bad case of hayfever sice yesterday evening and have had plenty of time for a few listens. I am so happy with the new album, absolutely stunning.

[Jonse]

It's a veritable punch to the face this time, no?

If you'd have told me that True Love Waits would be closing this record as a muffled, dissonant version of itself, I probably would have cried earlier. Though I don't think most people are going to get why that song's being here is so powerful but either way, reminds me of how they closed Kid A with Motion Picture Soundtrack ever so slightly.

[drillkicker]

This is kind of unrelated, but why do such a large portion of Boards of Canada fans like Radiohead so much ? It doesn't make much sense for there to be a correlation considering that they're completely unrelated. The MBV crossover makes sense since BoC has been influenced by that band, but this is just kind of odd.

[Mexicola]

Both produce intelligent, thought provoking music? Thom Yorke famously bought Warp's entire back catalogue during his anti-guitar freakout between OK Computer and recording Kid A. Makes perfect sense to me.

[The Telepathic Kid]

I don't really see the whole board freaking out about this, I mean the people I would expect to have posted in this thread and the previous one have posted (except A Northern Soul or Fujee)

To be honest, and don't take this the wrong way guys, but when this board rallies around music that isn't electronic I'm kinda like "huh? Alright, that's cool, wasn't expecting that." (i.e. Sufjan, Tame Impala, etc)

I'm not saying you guys aren't diverse in your tastes, I just usually see non electronic stuff sink like a rock in this place.

Back on thread, this is taking some time to unravel. It's their most delicate release in many ways, but also their toughest and most weathered.
This is a Radiohead beaten down, giving in, accepting whatever losses they have, and moving past what fueled their fires on past records.
It's their most challenging in some while, but also seemingly their most rich. I think this is one which will last for the next 5, 6 even 7 years until they release their next record. (unlike TKOL, and I was a fan of TKOL)

[drillkicker]

The two bands I've noticed that have a surprisingly large proportion of fans on this board are MBV and Radiohead, and I find it strange that there should be such a crossover between fans of those two bands and fans of BoC considering how different and unrelated their music is. (There's also David Bowie, but he's about as popular everywhere else so it isn't unusual.) I know Thom Yorke is a fan of Warp stuff, but I didn't remember him being as popular and respected on WATMM as he is here.

[b0qurant]

To be honest, and don't take this the wrong way guys, but when this board rallies around music that isn't electronic I'm kinda like "huh? Alright, that's cool, wasn't expecting that." (i.e. Sufjan, Tame Impala, etc)

I'm not saying you guys aren't diverse in your tastes, I just usually see non electronic stuff sink like a rock in this place.

I think about this all the time, especially with regards to users' SoundCloud channels.

[jcnporter]

I can remember playing The Bends non-stop when it came out, it just completely shit over pretty much everything else at the time (apart from the Manics). To think that they would still have a similar effect over 20 years later...I've neglected them since In Rainbows, but from what I've heard of this album so far that looks like it will change...
What other bands are there that have been so consistently good and focused over nearly a quarter of a century? They're up there with the the greats of modern music, no problem. I love Radiohead's non-image, zero celebrity status, the fact that they've the same line-up after 30 years and clearly care about the music and nothing else. Fucking legends.

[IanRedpoint]

I love Radiohead's non-image, zero celebrity status, the fact that they've the same line-up after 30 years and clearly care about the music and nothing else. Fucking legends.

In some ways that is the line that runs between Radiohead and BoC. Their aims and attitude are kinda similar, even if the music they make is only tenuously connected.

I can't imagine only listening to electronic artists or only guitar bands. Maybe when I was much younger but even then it felt perfectly natural to listen to both Depeche Mode and Sonic Youth, for example.

[Jonse]

This is kind of unrelated, but why do such a large portion of Boards of Canada fans like Radiohead so much ? It doesn't make much sense for there to be a correlation considering that they're completely unrelated. The MBV crossover makes sense since BoC has been influenced by that band, but this is just kind of odd.

It's shared interest, that's all.

Years back, when I was way into Daft Punk, most everyone also had an affinity for Gorillaz. Unrelated. I'm still passively part of the NIN fanbase, where by the same logic w/ BoC and MBV, Bowie would be the most shared taste. He is a big one, but at the same time there's overlap with the Tool fanbase, the BoC fanbase (hell, the OPN fanbase at current), the MBV fanbase and the Radiohead fanbase to those who aren't contrarian hipsters. Again, completely unrelated. Tool and BoC do have serious parallels as rough rock/electronic mirrors of each other in both ideology and behaviour (like Ian, I'd argue this applies to some degree with Radiohead and BoC as well), but that's not why I've seen avatars and signatures bearing their imagery/lyrics on this board along with that of MBV, or Radiohead, at least ten other popular names.

Point is, it's got less to do with acknowledged influence and more to do with word of mouth and each link on everyone's long chain of appreciated artists that shared at least a couple traits with an otherwise different type of music. I was obsessed with BMSR many, many moons ago and a recommendation from another fan is what had me discover BoC seriously. I've no doubt the type of Radiohead fans that consider stuff like Everything In Its Right Place great who express that opinion will continue to be told "check out Boards of Canada."

There's also the fact that Radiohead is one of the most popular and acclaimed rock bands of all time. I think you're partially answering your own question when you answered it re: Bowie. As for WATMM, many are just bitter, stuck in the same place I once was looking at Kid A as "baby's first IDM" instead of the record it truly is.

I can't imagine only listening to electronic artists or only guitar bands.

Yet again, Redpoint gets it.

[realspiel]

A wonder of an album, gets better with every listen.

[The Telepathic Kid]

regarding the BoC/Radiohead convergence, does it matter if a band is popular or acclaimed?

It shouldn't.

[Mexicola]

I think he's simply pointing out that they aren't an obscure art band nobody has heard of.

Back on topic about the actual album, anyone noticed the track order?

Clue: Aardvarks would come before witches

[Betterthanyourkids]

it really is a stroke of luck this came out when it did, as I really started digging into Radiohead's discography back in March! It's really unique, cuz I'm still figuring out how I feel about their old albums, while digging into this new one! Hopefully I'll finally get to have a full listen today, only heard the singles thus far.

As for the discussion up in this thread, I actually used to be one of those electronic only guys for most of my teens. Ages 15-17 were basically just Warp's catalogue, looking back idk how I'm not completely sick of all things synths! So now at age 18, it's been a really great time of exploration into 'guitar music', and especially things I loved as a kid and kind of forgot. I think I vibe with Radiohead because it's about 70% rock and 30% electronic most of the time, a perfect balance (except when you get into Kid A haha). It's sorta similar to how BoC balances heavy sampling and synthesizers with live instrumentation and traditional instruments, then fucks em up with effects! The music I feel emotionally and innovatively is the best always seems to be things that perfectly blend two styles into something really new and foreign. The only exception I know of rn is Autechre, who push electronics so damn far it goes into another diamension. Good shit.
Little off topic there, but yes, Radiohead good, gotta go listen to AMSP now!

[portiss]

So in love with this album, I know what I'm playing when I'm shooting hoops/drinking beers outside tonight!

[portiss]

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts-entertainment/man-permanently-scarred-by-four-star-review-of-radiohead-album-20160511108774

Hahaha, that last sentence is gold after the entire article.

[North by North]

Love it. A thing of beauty. And to hear True Love Waits in this form- wow. When I heard the other songs I had no idea how it would fit. A very appropriate form for it to take after all these years IMO and to end this album with it actually feels like it makes sense.

Superb.