Thom Yorke’s 2006 solo release ‘The Eraser’ is a gem of an album. Obviously it shares a lot in common with recent Radiohead releases, but similar to a piece of work created by a younger sibling, the album seems like a disjointed and simplistic effort in comparison to some of the monsters to come out of the collective Radiohead brain (i.e. ‘Kid A’ or Hail to The Thief’)

Where ‘The Eraser’ hits the right mark, it really blows minds; ‘And It Rained All Night’ haunts it way through 4 and a quarter minutes of twisted imagery and noise, while the ‘Eraser’ and ‘Black Swan’ softly pull you through differing soundscapes that arrive you at the same point – bliss. Yorke may not have the help of his bandmates, but his own ideas still hit eardrums like blessings.

Up until now, his solo work has taken a back seat to the monster that is Radiohead; for better or for worse. Now, with a new band in tow, Yorke is taking the work out of the studio and on the road.

Nigel Godrich (Radiohead’s George Martin), and Joey Waronker (one-time drummer for Beck), join Mauro Refosco and Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) as the backing band for Yorke, having now completed a number of shows in the US.

The wonders of the internet mean that we can take in the show without actually being there (which is great for us on the other side of the world).

While I wasn’t initially too sure about the inclusion of Flea, watching some of the footage of the shows make sense. ‘Harrowdown Hill’ one of my favourite tracks from the past decade, sees Flea travel back in time, ripping and shaking around like an outtake from the ‘Higher Ground’ video. Classic.

The review of the shows have all been positive, which my favourite summary coming from a recent show in LA (via NY Times)

“It was excellent,” said Matt Lingo, a 21-year-old student. “It was the most depressing dance music I’ve ever heard.”

Full video coverage and highlights can be found on rockisagirlsbestfriend.com