When Atoms for Peace released Default late last year, it essentially sounded like a Thom Yorke
track. Now the supergroup - comprising
of Thom Yorke, Nigel Godrich (long-time Radiohead producer), Flea (Red Hot
Chili Peppers), Joey Waronker (previous drummer for REM) and Mauro Refosco
(a Brazilian percussionist who worked with the Chili Peppers) – have released
their debut album, ‘Amok’ and, like the debut single, this is Yorke all over.
Godrich is
often cited as the sixth member of Radiohead, so his inclusion in Atoms for
Peace is practically inevitable. But the
others? Sure the bass is often dynamic,
but these are hardly the funk basslines Flea is renowned for. And whilst much of the drumming is now live,
Yorke has often played with the complex polyrhythms these drummer provide. Surely the point of a supergroup is that each
member brings something different to the table, creating a musical concoction
of styles and influences? Instead, ‘Amok’
is wholeheartedly within Yorke’s electronic aesthetic.
It begs the
question – how should this album be judged?
Do we look at this as the supergroup it should be? Or simply as another Thom Yorke album?
Stuck Together Pieces is
a prime example of Atoms for Peace fusing the styles of its members. The funk bass and layered percussion provide
the grounding for Yorke’s hushed warbling and electronic effects. It remains, however, an abstract and
experimental piece. Album opener Before Your Very Eyes similarly feels
collaborative, sounding almost like Californication-era Chili’s. As a whole, ‘Amok’ has a cleaner, more ‘live’
quality than Yorke’s solo work thanks to his bandmates, but they feel more like
session musicians drafted in to heighten Yorke’s imagination.
In comparison to Radiohead, the tracks lack
distinction. Yorke’s original band are
finely tuned and have honed their craft over a series of albums each with their
own personality, whereas ‘Amok’ is predominantly meandering experimentation. The most successful tracks are those that
rely most heavily on Yorke’s influence. Default presents an intricate web of
jittering beats, shifting textures and weird sound bites; the beat of Dropped is infectious; and the ghostly
vocal effects of the title track are truly haunting. That said, even the best tracks of ‘Amok’
lack the unique ingenuity of Yorke’s 2006 album ‘The Eraser’.
There's definitely potential here and perhaps in a live set the music will thrill more, but recorded
this rarely rises above the level of interesting experimental side-project. As a Thom Yorke album this doesn’t live up to
his best work; as a supergroup this is neither a piece of teamwork, nor is it
super.
3/5
Gizzle’s Choice:
* Default
* Dropped
* Amok
Listen: 'Amok' is released on 25th February.
