In Rainbows

5人組UKロック・バンド、レディオヘッドが2007年に発表した7thアルバム。『OK コンピューター』時に制作された未完成曲を新たにレコーディングした「ヌード」、美しく壮大なバラード曲「オール・アイ・ニード」他を収録。

Rolling Stone (p.82) - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "All of it rocks; none of it sounds like any other band on Earth; it delivers an emotional punch....[Yorke's] voice has an R&B lilt that suits the songs' romantic directness." Rolling Stone (p.108) - Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Top Albums of the Year 2007" -- "Radiohead haven't sounded this aggressive and infuriates -- so rock & roll -- since OK COMPUTER..." Spin (p.111) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[With] a handful of gorgeous quiet-storm ballads that seem to have been imported from a time even less troubled than the late '90s." Entertainment Weekly (p.66) - "Using the full musical and emotional spectra to conjure breathtaking beauty, the collection is well named. It may have arrived via computer, but the vision is timeless." -- Grade: A Uncut (p.86) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he tender, if not sunny, mood is maintained across a beautiful suite of songs..." Uncut (p.82) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he shuffling fever-funk of 'Down Is The New Up' reaches a state of grace that very few bands ever get to achieve." The Wire (p.63) - "[T]racks like opener '15 Step' are injected with almost Rephlex-like accelerating rhythms....The album is sonically diverse..." The Wire (p.35) - Included in The Wire's "50 Records of the Year 2007". Down Beat (p.77) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Subtle electronics and tastefully deployed string arrangements are woven into the fabric of the tunes..." Q (Magazine) (p.107) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "IN RAINBOWS still leaves Radiohead in the most enviable position: progressively perfecting their art while able to command autonomy beyond the record industry." Q (Magazine) (p.88) - Ranked #04 in Q's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2007" -- "Beneath its approachable surface swam myriad subtleties, multiplying with every play." Mojo (Publisher) (p.96) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "IN RAINBOWS is a necessary masterstroke....Rejoice in a glorious moment for Radiohead, and for the art and business of rock in general." Blender (Magazine) (pp.141-142) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "IN RAINBOWS formulates a lush, sensualized ideal out of vague, layered discomfort....Far more pensive and reflective than its predecessor..." Record Collector (magazine) (p.87) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[It] is a smashing record to actually listen to....Piano lines follow unpredictable patterns and cymbals get clipped at every other bar..." Clash (Magazine) (p.77) - "IN RAINBOWS shines as a magical, mysterious and multi-faceted album to cherish forever."

本作は、レディオヘッドがシーンの野党第一党だということを再認識させるアルバムである。もちろん彼らはいつだって最大の野党だったが、前作『Hail To The Thief』にはバンドの行き詰まり感をみずから語るムードが確実にあった。しかしここではその閉塞感を突破するべく、かつてない情熱で描かれた楽曲が披露されている。もっと言えば、『OK Computer』にあった青白いエナジーを遥かに凌ぐ創造性に満ちているのだ。グライムっぽい性急なビートや、脳髄を揺さぶるゴツいグルーヴ、エロティックなトリップ・ホップ、獣的なポリリズムが縦断し、あらゆる感情の揺れがギミックではない必然性のなかで展開されていく。ロックによる乱調の美は、ここに極まった。正真正銘の最高傑作である。
bounce (C)冨田 明宏