I know people out there who will disagree with me strongly, but I stand by my conviction that Kid A is a masterpiece. The record has become the subject of hot debate; it seems that no one can take an impartial stance. Tensions are high as fans clash over the album's worth. One of my own very good friends said he didn't listen to it further than the first song. Personally, I was so impressed by Kid A that it's almost impossible for me to believe anyone would not like it, let alone sling the type of cruel criticisms many media reviews have. I first heard the entire album on MTV2's broadcast, and it left me speechless. I stumbled away from the TV feeling drained, marveling that one group of artists could possess such talent.

Everything In It's Right Place - With it's simple organ line pumping steadily in the background, "Everything In It's Right Place" is the muffled, gentle heartbeat of Kid A. The clicks and skips of scrambled vocals come in over the blurred keyboard notes as Thom's voice makes its quietly glorious entrance. Listen carefully for the sweeping surges of echoes around him, on "yesterday I woke up sucking a lemon" - it sounds like moaning ghosts whipping by a space astronaut. Thom initially seems almost broken, his "everything" trailing off into a weak breath. Some critics have complained that Thom's singing is "buried" on this record, but I believe this album allows Thom to truly show how masterful he is at manipulating a piece of music. His strong and almost reedy voice builds in conviction and power until he's achieved remarkable intensity, when once released subsides into the fragile mumblings heard at the beginning. At the climax of the song, with the buzzing, sustained organ noises in the background, there's a feeling of restrained hysteria. This song haunted my mind for weeks after I first heard it.

National Anthem - The driving tempo, coupled with the bleak lyrics, is in keeping with the mood established by the first two songs - and when I first heard it, I thought it was the most upbeat song on the record. The horns burst in and catch you by surprise; I'm delighted by their entrance and still smile at them every time I listen to the song. Thom's screaming, raw voice at the end ("is holding on" or "so alone" depending on what lyric you endorse) makes me picture him as a small boy, jumping and yelling as he is surrounded by a crowd of large adults, his voice ragged with its attempt to be heard.

Morning Bell - I heard someone describe the drum beat in this song as "stuttering", and there's not a more fitting word. After the drums comes a comforting keyboard tune, and something in it reminds me of one of their previous BSides, perhaps "Lull." I remember a quote from Colin that the logic of the group was "scare them with Climbing Up the Walls, soothe them with No Surprises". It seems that same thinking applies here, with the transition to "Ice Age coming" Idioteque into "Release me... please" Morning Bell. Thom's singing is a little softer and more calm than the in the opening songs, although still emotional. There's a beautiful climax on "sleepy jack the fire drill around around around around..." when all the guitars and drums collapse into one moment of intense beauty. If you listen to this song even once, you WILL sing to yourself "where'd you park the car" everytime you're in a parking lot.