Aliens, mind-numbing medication, urban decay -- these are not usually the themes of which great modern rock music is made. Images of isolation may be common in the "alternative" genre, but when married to more artful concepts, the results are usually embarrassingly pretentious since artists are rarely able to match their grand designs with strong enough music and lyrics.
Defying all logic, however, Radiohead took these big ideas and crafted the brilliant "OK Computer," a (gasp!) concept album that was released to so many good reviews that the band members' parents probably have no room left on their refrigerators. More importantly, it was the kind of album that fans could listen to and get lost in. How often does that happen?
Unlike less deserving critics' darlings like The Chemical Brothers and PJ Harvey, Radiohead seems to understand that a record without a heart gets real old really quickly, and their willingness to open themselves up on tape has led to a huge and devoted cult following. To satisfy their rabid fans' appetites, they've just released a seven-song EP entitled "Airbag/How Am I Driving?," a generous move on their part which should tide everyone over until their next full-length studio effort.
Before buying this EP, consumers should have one thing straight: this mini-album is for fans only; it is an extension of an album, not really a full album in its own right. Buy it expecting anything more, and you will walk away disappointed.
"Airbag/How Am I Driving?" contains one track from "OK Computer" ("Airbag") and six songs previously unavailable on any Radiohead studio records. The songs here all make strong separate statements, and then they're done. Due to the brief running time, there isn't enough material here to allow for much cohesiveness, so the EP is more like a collection of songs rather than a strongly unified work.
The songs on the EP mine similar territory as "OK Computer," but also show off some of the group's skills in crafting the more straightforward, but no less compelling, rock that they explored to great effect in "The Bends." That criminally underrated 1995 release was a major stepping stone for the band, and anyone interested in "Airbag/How Am I Driving?" should invest in it beforehand.
The unreleased material on this EP is still quality stuff, however, and it is easy to imagine some of the songs popping up on full-length Radiohead records -- they aren't throwaways. The best of the bunch, "A Reminder," is a sad number about a man who finds himself disappearing in his own life and needs to be reminded of who he is ("Remind me that once I was free/Once I was cool/Once I was me").
The narrator envisions what his relationship with his quasi-girlfriend will be like years down the road, telling her, "Whatever happens if we're still speaking/Pick up the phone/Play me this song." It is vintage Radiohead -- depressing, but beautiful.
The other songs are an eclectic bunch. "Meeting in the Aisle" is a spaced-out instrumental ditty that is trippier and funkier than anything on "OK Computer," and "Pearly" is a rock tune which features superb lead vocalist Thom Yorke doing some amazing harmonizing with himself.
The award for freakiest tune on the EP, however, goes to "Melatonin," a warped lullaby that begins with heartfelt messages to a son ("We just know that you'll do well/You won't come to harm") but ends with more disturbing, sarcastically delivered sentiments ("Death to all that stand in your way").
Coming after this song, the last track, "Palo Alto," comes as a bit of a let-down. It's a straight-forward rocker that would make more sense if it came before "Melatonin," allowing that song to serve as a creepy final coda for the EP.
Minor flaws aside, "Airbag/How Am I Driving" includes enough strong material that it is essential for any Radiohead fan's music collection. It's a worthy project that will have to suffice until we get another record from this enormously gifted band.
