AMOK is very much The Eraser part two, though it builds on Yorke’s solo album with a fuller, more funk-influenced sound. This progression makes sense considering this is, for the most part, a band who were initially cobbled together with the purpose of presenting The Eraser in a live setting: Yorke, Flea and Nigel Godrich, with the addition of Beck drummer Joey Waronker and Brazilian percussionist Mauro Refosco.
The assembled crew add a subtle Afrobeat element to the music while Yorke sticks to an elusive high-register in an effort to fly a little under the radar, though the music clearly has his fingerprints all over it and it’s difficult to discern exactly what the assembled A-team have contributed. The drums and percussion blend in amongst insistent electronic clatter. Flea delivers some swampy bass to anchor the glitchy percussion, but not often enough to make much of an impact. Nigel Godrich makes everything sounds wonderful, just as he has on the majority of Radiohead’s albums, so no news there. There’s a lot of talent and a variety of elements at play, though the end result is a static, distancing experience for the listener.
Still, if the main criticism is that everything is in its right place, then Yorke is definitely doing something right. He once again finds a sublime grey area between organic and electronic, and fans of his more recent work will not be disappointed. A new band with a new name affords Yorke an opportunity to run amok with a vehicle outside of the expectation-heavy Radiohead, but the songs of AMOK sound very neatly contained within their clean, controlled environment. It’s a striking work, but it comes without an element of surprise.
BY CHRIS GIRDLER
Best Track: Stuck Together Pieces
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: The Eraser THOM YORKE, The King Of Limbs RADIOHEAD
In A Word: A-Thom-ic
