Hail To The Computers, OK Kid? Celebrating Radiohead #5 - Airbag EP

Note: this is a _very_ short EP, therefore this review will be fairly short. This does not mean that any less effort has gone into the review, it merely means that there is less to write about than usual. Also, I tend not to be able to get as passionate about the band’s EPs – as much as I love them – as I do their actual albums. Therefore, further apologies if this one isn’t up to scratch. I for one am bound to be disappointed with it. I thank you.


I’m sure I’ve said it once already on this site, but I’m going to say it again. I am a terrible, horrible person. And this time I really mean it. For this review, I’m going to do something I have _never_ done in my Epinions career, and will never do again. I will be reviewing the Airbag / How Am I Driving? EP on the basis of downloads. Before you ask, I am ashamed. But you already knew that.

You see, after scouring the reviews of the disc on this site, and seeing that most were giving it a healthy five-star rating, I became very curious. Why was I, a rabid Radiohead fan, not in possession of this EP? More to the point, why had I not seen it anywhere, in any shops I had ever been in? Later, I found out that this CD was released in the USA and other parts of Europe only, just to give them a taster of some of the unreleased tracks that the band had recorded. When this news came to my attention, I was downcast. Demoralised. Depressed. I was in the mood to slit my wrists – well, not quite, but when you’re talking about Radiohead the action tends to get mentioned. Anyway, I figured I better do something about this. Maybe I could buy it on the Internet? In fact, no way, because I’d had a nasty experience with a mobile phone purchase across the ‘net a few months earlier. How about flying to Europe? Nope, I was too lazy.

So I turned to the only sensible option – downloading. I was literally embarrassed at the prospect of doing this, but needs must, and I was desperate for more Radiohead dammit! So, NH me for this if you really want – but when the CD I’m reviewing isn’t even available in the country I live in (and was on limited release anyway) there’s not much else I can do is there?

As it turns out, these were certainly worthwhile downloads. The Airbag EP was released shortly after the band’s major commercial success OK Computer, and contained a selection of B-sides and unreleased material. As it is, there are only six new songs (one of the tracks is Airbag, obviously) and this leads to the CD’s duration being very short – well under half an hour actually. However, this is among some of the quirkiest material in the Radiohead back catalogue – and its not surprising, considering the EP was released around the same time that Thom Yorke’s twisted little mind was conjuring up the electronic soundscapes of Kid A. Airbag actually turns out to be the sanest track on here, and the rest of the bunch takes you on an eclectic and twisting journey into the dark recesses of Radiohead’s locker. Lots of weird blips, bleeps, and electronic meddlings in general. Johnny Greenwood must have been in heaven. There are a couple of more straight-rocking numbers to tide the unsuspecting listener through, but all in all this is just classic Radiohead - built especially for obsessive fans like me. This EP explains why they are more than just a band – they are an addiction and an enigma.

Track Listing
1.Airbag - 2.Pearly - 3.Meeting In The Aisle - 4.A Reminder - 5.Polyethylene - 6.Melatonin - 7.Palo Alto

I suppose the best way to start off this EP would be with something familiar, something to grasp hold of. So Radiohead provide us with that by kicking off with the syncopated bass and drum action of the wintry wonder-track Airbag from OK Computer. As I’ve said, it’s the most “normal” thing on here. And when you can describe this song as normal, then you know you’re in for a shock, not to mention an exciting listen.

It’d be easy for me to say that what takes up the rest of the CD is as kooky as you can get. But in fact, it really isn’t. There are a couple of more effervescent, rocking moments. The second track Pearly is probably the best example, relying on a squealing, looping guitar over the top coupled with some abrasive riffage and feedback. And of course Colin Greenwood’s throbbing bass pulses. Yorke’s vocals are unusually mean, but there is an opportunity for him to use his falsetto once on here, a section that gradually builds up – through an onslaught of drums from Phil Selway – culminating in a creepy solo of sorts. The lyrics revolve around the intriguing subject of teeth, a new piece of ground treaded for the band: ”How do you get your teeth so pearly? / Dewdrop dentures / White-washed fences”. Really, the first thing you will probably notice when you first hear this song is the amount of feedback involved, but don’t let that put you off – once you peel back the layers, there are some interesting things going on in the mix. In a way, this one is strangely similar to Airbag, in that it has the same snowy, wintry feel to it. Albeit more of a blizzard than a light drizzle.

Another example of more fuzz-rock stylings is the technologically stark closer, Palo Alto, driven by more feedback-induced whirrings and whooshing noises that seem to fly over your head like some sort of giant space vehicle. Which is kinda weird, as they talk about some futuristic city in the lyrics: ”In the city of the future / It is difficult to find a space / I’m too busy to see you / You’re too busy to wait”. Is it coincidence that the music evokes a spacey, futuristic feel, and the lyrics complement that idea? I think not. Again, like almost all of OK Computer, this song reveals Yorke’s fear of technology, and that it will destroy us. And there’s no better way to put that across than having it wrapped up inside a big ball of fiery, explosive alt-rock – complete with the evils of computer technology, which are used to produce the weird sounds. Ironic, huh? This has to be one of the most ferocious songs the band has penned. Proof positive that they can blow your balls off when they feel like it.

Polyethylene is the last one of the more rock-oriented tracks on here, and turns out to be a two-part mini epic. I always liked two-part mini epics, even if they don’t occur often enough for me. But this is actually an effective one. By the first part, the band would have you falling asleep with your air guitar languishing lazily over your shoulder. Yorke cries like a little puppy, provided with a sadly strumming guitar to back him up. Alas, 45 seconds in, the track stalls and starts up again on a ֿ-2-3-4” count. Then some more hazy guitar noises come in, and a riff starts to build that descends, descends, and descends into nothingness. This riff proves to be the ultimate hook, along with some more pounding drumming and fills from Selway. Yorke now moves from crying puppy to howling dog, and the guitars start to go a little crazy, bringing in excessive distortion and yet more feedback. (On a side note, I don’t believe I’ve ever said “feedback” as many times in a Radiohead review). However, this one is certainly a minor prog-rock masterpiece – I’m sure – even though it only lasts just over four minutes. Simply because the emotions that the band takes you through make it seem like a ten-minute track.

To switch over to the weirder stuff, Melatonin would have to be defined as the “sleeping” track. Lodged firmly betwixt two harder rocking tracks, and clocking in at just over two minutes, it’d be easy to ignore. But it’s really one of the most soothing songs that Radiohead has brought to us, with gentle waves of strings, and dull thudding drums. Actually, it is rather reminiscent of Motion Picture Soundtrack from Kid A, if a _little_ more upbeat. Even more eclectic would have to be the instrumental Meeting In The Aisle. I couldn’t help but laugh at the comment my sister made when she heard me listening to this one last night: “You know, the title makes you think it would be wedding music, but it sounds more like funeral music”. All credit to her for coming up with that witty analogy, but she couldn’t be more wrong. Listen to the punchy, poppy and processed drumbeat, and the rolling bass line – which comes in eventually, and you’ll realise that this is _not_ “death music”. The spiralling, spacey tones that hover over the song for the full length are rather unsettling, but nonetheless inspiring.

The track that follows this instrumental, A Reminder, is _definitely_ my favourite track on this album. Yorke muses on the aging process throughout: ”Knock me out / Smash my brains / If I take a chair / Start to talk sh*t / If I get old / Remind me of this / That night we kissed / And I really meant it”. This song is so understated it’s beautiful. It begins with some light background noises, perhaps at an airport – as we hear the hustle and bustle of people moving around and announcements being made on a loudspeaker. To be honest, the song never really picks up any more pace than this beginning allows it. Gentle guitar – barely recognisable – and some glittering textures, coupled with the gentlest of gentle bass drones make up the majority of the sound. The drums are there, but so shuffling and held-back they may as well have been left out. I guess that would’ve spoiled the track though. For this is another Radiohead masterpiece, and I deliberately left it as the last song to discuss.

The Airbag / How Am I Driving? EP is a charming little CD, innocent yet inherently mean; beautiful yet hideously ugly. I almost gave this five stars – it really is that good – but then held back. Mainly because this is way too short to give anything more than four stars too. And therein lies the problem. I’m sure the band could have considered placing one or two more of their brilliant B-sides from the OK Computer singles on here. However, this is still a great EP for particularly rabid Radiohead fans to get to know. Therefore, if you’re a new listener, you’d be better to check out some of their released material and albums before you delve into these depths. The water’s very icy and unfriendly down here, you know.

Excellent: Airbag, Pearly, A Reminder, Polyethylene
Good: Meeting In The Aisle, Melatonin, Palo Alto
Average: NONE
Weak: NONE

Final Rating: 17/20


Next up: Kid A


More on the best band in the world
Pablo Honey
My Iron Lung EP
The Bends
OK Computer
Kid A
Amnesiac
Hail To The Thief
Com Lag