First, the good news: The Eraser, the first solo effort from Radiohead frontman and existential hood ornament Thom Yorke, does not in any way signify the demise of the band he's called home for more than a decade. The bad news is ... well, there is no bad news, really. Like almost everything he touches, Eraser is another pitch-perfect example of the good that can come from Yorke's ability to mutate like a virus. Recorded during some off time after the completion of 2003's Hail to the Thief, Yorke eschews the restraints — if they can be called that — of the world's most famous free-flowing rock band, opting instead to pursue the snaps, crackles and pops of one of his biggest loves: computer-generated electronica. Not surprisingly, it works, and it works well. Perhaps that's because, even though it's new, the musical foundations of standout tracks such as "Analyse" and "Atoms For Peace" — both of which carry the cross for Yorke's other love, the environment — aren't that far from, say, OK Computer's earnestness or Kid A's jagged edge. Though nothing on the album sounds like Radiohead, Yorke's jittery warble has a comforting familiarity to it, whether he's singing with a live band or manipulating a blip on his laptop. In fact, as long as he continues to push the boundaries of music, we're more than willing to sit back and let him create under whatever banner he sees fit. George Bush claims he has a mandate? Fuck that. Thom Yorke gets a date with our sister and the keys to our apartment.
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