Thom Yorke's The Eraser

Although most of my writings on music to date have focused on the music of John Coltrane, I find myself drawn to the new disc by Thom Yorke in my initial posting. This is probably dependent on the fact that I just purchased it and it has received heavy listening over the past two days. My draw to The Eraser is due to my love of Radiohead, Mr. Yorke's band (not quite his band--if ever there was a collective of musicians struggling toward a common artistic goal...that's for another posting) whose catalogue of music should be purchased in full by anyone unfamiliar with it; for each disc, from the early, guitar driven Pablo Honey through the majestic OK Computer to the ambiant driven Amensiac, Kid A, and Hail to the Thief, offers a segment of Radiohead's artistry and creative genius. I first listened to The Eraser full tilt in my car riding home from work. I liked it. But, something told me that a closer listen was immediately in order, so I clip on my Ipod, got on my bike, and rode through the hills near my home for an hour, taking in the music through the intimacy of the headphones and downhill wind. The music wrapped around me and flowed through my spirit. In particular, the songs And It Rained All Night and Black Swan. I clicked and ticked with the electronic persussive beat and rose the hills to the plaintive cry of Mr. Yorke. His lyrics need time to digest, especially with myself (known to be lyrically-challenged by those close to me), but I fathom that certain phrases will soon enter the lexicon of my subconscious.