Thom Yorke - The Eraser Album Review

Thom Yorke

The Eraser

Album Review

Thom Yorke is a genius – Touched by the hand of god.

And the none-believers who refuse to worship at his alter will probably suffer for eternity in a Yorke-less hell of their own making.

Well we all have an opinion…

So it is that the miserable messiah steps out into wilderness for his 40 days of demon wrestling with his first solo album, The Eraser; taking on the world with all its pain, hatred and hypocrisy with heartfelt cynicism, loathing and hope. Pretty much like anything by Radiohead then!? Well, yes but without the guitars and drums.

I don't know if all the drum machines, sequencers and machines that go 'beep' were carted off to his boudoir so that those of us in the know could all say 'he made it in his bedroom you know…' but it sounds like it could have been.

The big question is, of course, is this as good as anything Thom's done with the band? The answer is simply no, but that doesn't tell you too much does it? – After all, who has made anything better than OK Computer and The Bends?

A few, admittedly, but not many.

What I can tell you is that this isn't a huge departure from his work with Radiohead but that's no bad thing. If you're a fan of the band then you are going to love this – Same lyrical depth, same haunting, moaning vocals but here they are matched by a musical intimacy that is just as engaging and compelling as Yorke's voice. It's like you're huddled with him in a cupboard under the stairs with him as he tells you how desperate and scary and wrong the outside world is.

Sing-along-a-Thom it's not, but then that's never been his calling.

But if you're a believer, put your money in the collection plate and leave the repenting to the fans of Westlife, for surely their's is the road to destruction.

David Murphy