The only band who can effectively protect the entire world from being destroyed in a nuclear war (never underestimate the power of a boringly written blog, friends) are back, with a new album that moves them out of their niche as a world-changingly brilliant but not actually that interesting act and into a new sound. I could be talking about Coldplay of course, but I'm actually talking about that OTHER overly political band, Radiohead. After a four-year break following their last studio album, the mellow Hail To The Thief, which itself hailed a more listenable approach to making music following two successively odder music experiments, they brought out a new album in 2007 after giving the general public a week's advance notice. In Rainbows is odd itself, in that no longer are Radiohead happy to act like miserable bastards. Over the course of forty minutes, the band rarely get even a little bit depressed, instead radiating a comfortableness that permeates the album in a warming wool scarf of contentedness. The album is inviting and entirely not isolating like it has been in the past. It's a good move for the band.

There are roughly three types of song on this album. The first takes in the eccentric racing of "15 Step", "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" and "Jigsaw Falling Into Place"; the second accounts for the quieter melodies of "Nude", "Videotape" and "Faust Arp", whilst the third is made up of all the other songs that I can't lump into generalisations. Generally speaking, the songs in group one sound identical. The openings for "15 Step" and "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" certainly gives you a feeling of déjà vu once you hear them in quick succession, because they operate off the same musical feeling. Both start somewhat 'in medias res' (I thank you, English GCSE syllabus, for that term) with the music feeling like it's already begun. Both songs have a handclapping/drum technique used which incorporates a very quick series of beats following each other in rapid succession, and are laid over by lilting guitar refrains. This effect is then finished off with Thom Yorke's voice, which has definitely mellowed recently. He's always been a great rock singer, but here he moves away to gentler stuff and proves his worth as a maturing singer. The falsetto he has is more contained and fuller-sounding than it ever has been before, allowing him to blend in with the music. The warmth in his voice is the key element to making the album work, and he transforms what might have been a top-notch album by The Shins, say, into something altogether more fantastic. On the closing ballad "Videotape", which is hampered by not sounding complete (it was apparently a song the band struggled with for a while, and still doesn't sound like it knows what kind of song it wants to be), Yorke's voice is all that the song has to get by on. It's mesmerising. He used to scream and tension would bleed into every Radiohead song as a result, but during In Rainbows he doesn't once sound threatened or threatening.

"Faust Arp" is almost a tribute to Pink Floyd's early days, an acoustic number that has Johnny Greenwood's acoustic guitar accompany Yorke as he sings about love (yes! Not a song about the fear of being swallowed by a corporate government - a song about love!) It's quite a touching moment, which is made all the sweeter for being condensed into a short space of time, with fluttering strings bringing out the natural atmosphere. It's then followed by the highlight of the album, in the whimsical and nostalgic "Reckoner", which is just the very best song in the world when you're sat on a train looking out the window, because of the sense of time and pace the track has. Sad guitars play a lonesome melody as drums and percussion clash against each other and Yorke sings a beautiful falsetto that reminds me just a little of that Daniel Bedingfield fellow. He's making a comeback soon, so watch out for that one. Anyway, the track to finish off the little trio of songs there is called "House Of Cards", which has a strong guitar melody pinning down the song while Yorke sings "I don't want to be your friend/I just want to be your lover". Y'see? They got into the music industry to get laid, just like everyone else did! It's all very well and good them claiming they want world peace now they've all gotten married and laid, but I bet if they'd never become successful Thom Yorke wouldn't care less about fossil fuels and seal clubbing. Just a theory. It's another strong track that continues the string of powerful songs that makes up the album.