A Moon Shaped Pool

1. jorge89

   Sep 20, 2016

   10

   Top 3 AOTY in no order: 1.Radiohead: A moon shaped pool 2. Frank Ocean: Blonde 3. Nick Cave: Skeleton Tree. For me this three albums are masterpieces!

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2. andreydelorenzo

   May 8, 2016

   10

   Best album since OK Computer. (Review in portuguese)
   
   Radiohead se reinventa a cada álbum. Isso é fato. Desde Pablo Honey, seus álbunsBest album since OK Computer. (Review in portuguese)
   
   Radiohead se reinventa a cada álbum. Isso é fato. Desde Pablo Honey, seus álbuns posteriores costumam sempre ser uma espécie de borboleta libertada do casulo do álbum anterior. Se com "The Bends" tivemos a evolução da guitarra nervosa de Jonny Greenwood em relação ao seu álbum de estreia, em "OK Computer" tivemos a quintessência do grupo, um álbum tão impactante para os anos 90, como Dark Side of the Moon foi nos anos 70. Porém, ao término da "trinca" inicial de álbuns, em que o falsete de Thom Yorke se aventurava dentre as guitarras poderosas do grupo e por um belo casamento da "cozinha" da banda (baixo e bateria), temos a releitura mais radical do grupo com "Kid A", álbum que foi um divisor de águas no cenário musical, algo que se seguiu até "In Rainbows". Claro, tivemos flertes com o antigo e bom rock "sujo" presente no Radiohead dos anos 90. Porém, nunca tão efervescente como nesse registro aqui. Se em "The King of Limbs" tivemos uma predominância quase que total de elementos eletrônicos experimentais, (algo que enjoava em certas partes), aqui em "A Moon Shaped Pool" temos uma bela mescla de todos os gêneros que já se tiveram presentes ao longo da jornada da banda. É provavelmente o álbum mais eficiente em sua proposta, mais ainda que "Hail to the Thief". E o mais consistente desde OK Computer. Pra muitos vai ser o "bom e velho" Radiohead flertando com o "Radiohead do século 21", mas não existe "Radiohead daqui" ou "Radiohead dali", essa é a mesma banda que iniciou sua jornada em 1993, e que a cada novo registro se reinventa de forma satisfatória, e que hoje revela seu disco mais revolucionário desde OK Computer, e que provavelmente se tornará um marco para a música.
   Continue assim Radiohead, sendo um dos últimos fornecedores de frescor musical, em meio a esse circo de horrores que se tornou a indústria.… Expand

   • 18 of 21 users found this helpful
4. Doll9

   May 9, 2016

   10

   This record is better than i dared hope, filled with beautiful string arrangements, moving vocal melodies and wonderful textures. There is noThis record is better than i dared hope, filled with beautiful string arrangements, moving vocal melodies and wonderful textures. There is no filler on this album at all. Style wise it's more ballads/orchestral/folk/electro mash up than rock but that doesn't mean theres no urgency, see Identikit, Burn the Witch and Ful Stop. All the new tracks totally stand up to the fan favourites. In fact Present Tense is the song i enjoyed least because i was attached to an acoustic solo version i'd heard years ago, but it's still a good song. I thought their last album was solid but never warmed to it the way i have to this one in just 24hrs. I am very impressed.… Expand

   • 2 of 3 users found this helpful
5. tomiowa

   May 9, 2016

   10

   The first song, Burn the Witch kicks off the album well, it’s a good opener, although I wish it started off with birds chirping like it did inThe first song, Burn the Witch kicks off the album well, it’s a good opener, although I wish it started off with birds chirping like it did in the music video. But it’s an intense song, has some slow build up, with electronics pulsing in the background as Thom Yorke soars with a haunting vocal performance. The ending is great, so intense, kind of ends abruptly, but I think was was intentional. The next song Daydreaming is so peaceful, it’s the longest song on the album, doesn’t exactly seem like it though. This song has a slow build up, it doesn’t explode though however like most songs do off this album, it makes you feel very lonely, and I think that’s what this song is about. The next song is Decks Dark, weird title. But it’s a great song, kind of sounds sexual in a way…, the production is so great here, Thom’s voice is so good to listen to, so soothing. The choir bit in the song adds to it perfectly, and makes it more dense, more complicated than your average track. The next song is Desert Island Disk, quite a warm sounding song with acoustic guitar, a previously unreleased song in Radiohead’s discography, like many other songs off this album. According to Thom Yorke it’s about a CD you’ll listen to stuck on a desert island, can sort of see where he’s coming from, a great song, but possibly the weakest on the album, and it kills me to say that. But now i’m excited, I get to talk about track 5, Ful Stop. Absolute masterpiece. The build up and the momentum in this song is incredible, makes you want to bob your head, makes you want to dance, it **** your brain up. Thom’s vocals are actually irresistible here, so catchy it’s unreal. He couldn’t have sung this in a better way, being honest. It’s a 6 minute track epic, which is a foundation for this album that sits about half way through the track listing here, will be a fan favourite. The next song is so lovely, Glass Eyes. The shortest song on the album sitting at 2:53. Kind of has the same feel as Faust Arp from In Rainbows, but it’s a sad song, like most off this album. The next song is a weird one, probably the weirdest here, but that has to be expected on a Radiohead album, another fan favourite from a live capacity, Identikit. Starts off with electronic beats, and slowly kicks off into this really catchy tune. The part where Ed O’Brien sings is haunting and kind of uplifting in a way. The ending to this song is great, but so bizarre and unlike Radiohead, finishes off with a guitar solo. Another thing I have to give them credit for this the use of instruments and how every member shines on this without making it too over the top. The next song is The Numbers. This song used to be called Silent Spring, used to be just an acoustic song, and they’ve given this song a huge make over. Not only added to it’s length but made it so beautiful sounding. It’s clearly about nature and the problem with global warming. The orchestral sounds are great here, makes it sound so organic and rich. And it fits in perfectly. The next song, Present Tense. Another acoustic guitar driven song, one of my favourites on this song, for sure. It has other beats swirling in the background to add to it, it isn’t done to make you become distracted from the main focus of this song. I’m not sure of the true meaning behind this song, but I feel as if it would make a good song to sing at the end of the world. The also made this song much better after putting it onto this album, and it was great to begin with anyway. The next song (the penultimate track) definitely wins the award for the weirdest and longest title, Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief, try says that 5 times in a row really fast, I can’t even do it once. It’s an interesting track that starts off electronic driven, sound like something taken from Thom Yorke’s Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes, it has great lyrics, not many though I might add, it’s kind of driven by instrumentals, and Radiohead really flex their instrumental muscles here, towards the latter half of the track and especially the ending, dramatic and powerful finish. The last song here needs no introduction, True Love Waits. Radiohead first performed this live around 24 years ago, so it’s been kicking around for a while, and fans have always loved it, and I’ve loved it too, it was sitting in my top 10. This album couldn’t have ended any better, this song is PERFECT. Not only did they take a great song and just make it so much better, but they made it slower, piano driven, the acoustic guitar is gone, it’s so much more powerful, and Thom Yorke’s painful vocals are so … there are no words.., it’s painfully sad and upsetting. I believe this song is significant because Thom broke up with his wife last year and this song was first recorded/ released when they first got back together, and that adds even more to this masterpiece, hands down the best song on the album. My character limit is going to exceed. It's a masterpiece 10/10. Their best album.… Expand

   • 4 of 6 users found this helpful
6. GerardoRoR

   May 9, 2016

   10

   Excelente disco, excelentes canciones, excelente Radiohead, ha llenado todo el espacio que había dejado el tiempo, es una combinación de todoExcelente disco, excelentes canciones, excelente Radiohead, ha llenado todo el espacio que había dejado el tiempo, es una combinación de todo lo mejor de ellos… Expand

   • 5 of 7 users found this helpful
7. Cyzzyx

   May 18, 2022

   9

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A Moon Shaped Pool is a return to what makes Radiohead special. The sonic uniqueness and ambiance makes this project so empty yet so interesting. It reminds me of the emotions I felt during Kid A, but less of a dystopian way and more of a depressing way. The problems I have with this album are pacing issues, but other than that this is a fantastic listen from front to back. Thom Yorke's vocal performance in this album is one of his best in my opinion, and you can really feel and hear the emotions that the band is trying to convey. His lyricism also shines poetically all throughout, probably because it was so emotionally charged. One of the saddest albums of all time.
   
   Favorite Tracks: Burn The Witch, Daydreaming, Decks Dark, Ful Stop, Glass Eyes, Identikit, The Numbers, Present Tense
   
   Least Favorite Tracks: Desert Island Disk, Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief… Expand

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8. itsover

   May 19, 2016

   0

   Those waiting since In Rainbows for another good Radiohead/Thom Yorke record will have to keep waiting.
   
   Or if you want it bad enough youThose waiting since In Rainbows for another good Radiohead/Thom Yorke record will have to keep waiting.
   
   Or if you want it bad enough you can say this is as good as Kid A. Wait a year to see if you still think that or are brave enough to say so in public.
   
   When the first single dropped I thought ‘yes they’re back.’ I had that song on repeat for hours on end.
   
   Then when the ‘Daydreaming’ vid was released I was worried. Not only is the video some of PTA’s lamest work, it featured an especially greasy Yorke wandered though a multitude of doors without finding whatever it is that he has long lost.
   
   Do a search for A Moon Shaped Pool and the adjective ‘lush’ and your browser might crash. Apparently you must listen to this record with headphones to appreciate the ‘lush’ production.
   
   Ultimately the best production techniques cannot deliver the best tunes. And this record is a collection of formally rejected songs given the full film score treatment. A one-note, often out of tune Yorke doesn’t help. Nor do his nauseatingly bad 60’s protest song lyrics: We are of the Earth / To her we do return / The future is inside us.
   
   And what about the choirs on the record - was Guy Garvey credited for those?
   
   Then there’s the closer in ‘True Love Waits’. We are supposed to feel the poignancy of Yorke’s divorce. I think the greater tragedy is that the truer version of this track is found where it belongs, when Radiohead were at their peak, on 2001’s I Might Be Wrong.… Expand

   • 10 of 90 users found this helpful

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