Hail to the Thief

The two albums that came before "Hail to the Thief" did not, despite critical acclaim, reach an audience in the mainstream. The band had adopted an electronic style that felt cold, and many people were alienated.

With their album "Hail To The Thief", a title which references the 2000 U.S. elections, they proved that they can make original music while still remaining available and accessible to audiences.

The synthesizers have been mostly dropped here, and the instruments sound airy, ephemeral, and warm. They have also replaced looped vocals with more theme centered ones.

Even if you don't know what the songs are about, they deliver the lyrics on music which is layered and excellently mixed. On many of the tracks the playing is subdued, there are no ripping solos, and emphasis on any instrument is usually used as a method of adding a new beat.

Radiohead has mastered their style, and although they have taken a hiatus from accessibility to experiment, they come back stronger for it.