So, here it is. Radiohead's first new album-bound material since 2007's In Rainbows, one day ahead of schedule, just six days after it was announced. Difficult bastards.
On first listen, it seems pretty much what was expected. A snaking, bassy intro is eventually met by Thom Yorke's meek, patient vocal while Kid A synths wobble and whirr. 'Lotus Flower' is incredibly deliberate; you get the feeling that every lingering bass note, every echo-tracked vocal has been surgically prepared rather than bound together with double-sided tape and willpower.
Though the album's electronic intelligence references Kid A and Amnesiac heavily, it updates the sound to an extraordinary extent; those albums hardly sound outdated even today, but there is undeniable progress evident on this, the album's lead single. The relentless, swinging bass is reminiscent of the xx's more upbeat moments, if more pervasive, more aggressive.
All in all, this track is typical Radiohead, which is no bad thing. It's a smoother Hail to the Thief, a more adventurous In Rainbows, Ok Computer with a black cover.
Or that's how I see it. Why not let it 'slowly unfurl' for you, and tell me what you think?
