Radiohead – Hail To The Thief (Parlophone)
Whoever said this album would be a return to the more straightforward Radiohead of old, lied. Hail To The Thief picks up where Kid A and Amnesiac left off, indulging in awkward electro-jazz which goes self-consciously for the brain where OK Computer went unthinkingly for the heart. It has its moments – the jazz funk of A Punchup At A Wedding and the tribal single There There - but it lacks light and dark. There’s mournful beauty here, but it also comes dangerously close to being dreary and dirgelike. It’s not a bad album but, ultimately, Hail To The Thief lacks the surprising inventiveness that made Radiohead a great band. Matt Walton 06 June 03

Radiohead - All Hail The Thief, released 09 June 03 on Parlaphone.

useful link: www.radiohead.co.uk