OKNOTOK is something a lot of people have been looking forward to for a while. OK Computer was such a pivotal album in UK and world music. A shining example of forward thinking and intelligently created music, That received popular and critical acclaim, inspiring generations to come and becoming an anthem for the time. There last new release, ‘A Moon Shaped Pool’ was well received. Particular because it finally featured fan favourite ‘Burn The Witch’, complete with a stop motion video. They feature a whole album worth of songs like that. Cut from the original release and not heard by many until now. They have even given us two amazing videos so far, in very typical Radiohead artistic fashion.
I Promise.
First, released back on June 2nd as a early teaser for OKNOTOK was ‘I Promise.’ A uplifting and haunting track, featuring Thom Yorke’s vocals. On top of a marching sequence drum beat and driving acoustic guitar. The video was directed by Michał Marczak and produced by Pulse Films. It is as stellar as the track itself, as you might expect from the band by now. Follows a life-like presumably head on a bus journey, showing all that it sees and experiences through the night. ‘I won’t run away no more, I promise’.
Man Of War
‘Man Of War’, a beautifully crafted song and many people’s favourite from OKNOTOK. With a suitably rocky chorus and tastefully crafted middle eight section. The video was directed by Colin Read and also produced by Pulse Films. It has one of the coolest themes that I have ever seen in a music video; it switches between day and night constantly, presumably for thematic effect. The video follows a man who appears to be haunted by figures from his past, chasing him until he finally accepts and just stops running away. As with many of their videos, this seems completely open to interpretation. So do check the video out and see what it makes you think!
Already a tonne of fan theories out about the two videos following their release. linking the head in ‘I Promise’ to the ‘Paranoid Android’ video and the man in ‘Man Of War.’ To ‘Karma Police’, even theorising that he is the same character from the ‘Just’ video and has been chased for years. One can only hope all theories are true and we see more videos to come that keep links between the new songs and those from the original album. That shows a level of thinking and depth that few bands seem to achieve these days. Yet another thing that makes Radiohead stand out from the crowd.
He discovered the gem when he was 12 years old and still has it now, claiming it to be why he fell in love with music. He likes to play disc golf when he's not writing about music. He is a one-of-a-kind individual who is always the first to bust out his air guitar on the dance-floor.
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