So I was up at Midnight tonight to download the new Radiohead release, 'In Rainbows'. The album was released sometime around then on the official site where Radiohead have setup a novel and perhaps industry-changing business and marketing strategy, www.inrainbows.com. They have decided to release this, their seventh (or is it eighth?) studio album for the price you intend to pay for it, from zero to one-hundred pounds. Yes, you probably already knew that if you are a Radiohead fan (and you probably already have the MP3s on your computer too). There has been much talk about how effective this business model will be for the band and whatever prospective label they sign to for the CD release, slated for early 2008. The option to order a deluxe vinyl edition with accompanying artwork (RH has always had extremely beautiful and provoking album art) is enticing to someone who is a true fan of the band and of audio fidelity in general. The catch with the download is that the MP3 files are encoded at a lowly 160kbps. This isn't exactly audiophile material IOW. So if you are a true music lover I expect you will want to buy the CD release or at least a high-fidelity digital version if one becomes available. I certainly will.

On first listen, I cannot possibly have already digested this album for proper review, but I can say it is intriguing, all that I expect from Radiohead, and possibly much more. That's all I can say for now. Any good album deserves several listens before a final judgement is made. That being said, I was immediately intrigued by one particular track, 'Nude', and decided to record a cover of it on piano and voice. Keep in mind that I have heard this song twice... but I liked it a lot and heck, I love recording cover songs, especially Radiohead ones. I may re-do this at a later date but for now this is my take on their track from 'In Rainbows': 'Nude'. Hope you enjoy.


'Nude' by Radiohead (cover by Justin Justice)