Radiohead - Supercollider

Last Saturday was Record Store Day. It was also – coincidentally – day two of Coachella. I heard there was a street sale at All That Music, I heard there were some good deals and when I checked my e-mail I heard Radiohead released a special 12” for Record Store Day. Whoever got the vinyl, luuuucky. They sent digital copies of the two songs they released; “Supercollider” is such a perfect song. It probably sounds the most different from The King of Limbs and that’s probably because although started during those sessions, it was finished after the album.

I really like how at first it’s just this electronic beat that almost tricks you into believing its something different. It acts more as the set up to the mysterious strings that creep in and by the time Thom Yorke’s voice has appeared, the heavens have already been far removed. I’m guessing the song’s about the new possibilities out there, the darkness and ominous textures act as uneasiness and how there might be a super collider out there that separates everything. The ending lyrics are perhaps the most cryptic, ‘I put the shadows back into the boxes’ is sung against a sweepingly cold line and the angels that hang over the balcony could be nothing but everyone’s lost faiths, unproven. Mostly I think the song sounds like a typical Radiohead beauty: a perfect melody, a perfect flow and absolutely perfectly sung. I don’t think there’s anyone that has a better voice than Yorke and this sounds like heavens opening – it almost makes it hurt that it wasn’t included on The King of Limbs. – Bryan