Yorke’s solo album has digital sound
Radiohead star unveils secret project, ‘Eraser’
By Jacob Wilson, contributing writer
Posted on September 28, 2006

Thom Yorke is a strange man, plus he’s got a killer lazy eye. But he is still one of the most accomplished musicians of our generation. If you don’t know who Yorke is, you probably do know his band, Radiohead. From their first pop single, “Creep” back in the ’90s, to “High and Dry,” to their latest radio-friendly hit, “There There,” Radiohead has made a lot of great music. If you’re not a huge fan, chances are you’ve at least heard one of these songs at some point.

This July, Yorke’s first solo album, The Eraser, was released almost as a complete surprise to fans. Keeping it secret until only a month or two before release may have been a tactic to keep fan expectation to a minimum, which was probably a good idea, since the album is definitely not a musical masterpiece.

The side project has only nine songs, of which maybe four or five are really good. It lives up to the title of “side project.”  The Eraser was made without much concern for perfection and in a pretty short amount of time. In an e-mail announcement of the album’s release, Yorke admitted as much, saying, “It was fun and quick to do. Inevitably, it is more beats and electronics, but it’s songs.” Which means Yorke most likely sat on an airplane making these songs on his laptop.

The songs all share common characteristics of being comprised mainly of digital drum beats with synth ”bloops” and “bips” filling out the rhythm section, while various piano samples, guitars and synth strings play the melodies. For some songs, this can get a little boring, but on the few good ones it works beautifully.

One of the better songs on the album is the opener, “The Eraser.” It features a stuttering piano sample that compliments the steady digital drum beat. The second track, “Analyse” is also a strong one, with more piano and synth strings throughout. Arguably, the best song on the album is “Black Swan.” The lyrics are suitably dark to match the song title. The rhythms fit into a fantastic, upbeat bassline that offsets the ominous synth strings in the background. Thankfully, the guitar plays a slightly more prominent part and gives a break from the rest of the glitchy digital sounds.

The Eraser is definitely worth a listen, especially if you already like Radiohead’s music. If you’re not a Yorke fan to begin with, you should probably just borrow someone else’s copy to check it out before spending any money. Overall The Eraser is a broodingly beautiful set of songs, at times a little slow and repetitive, but at other times so haunting you’ll feel like you’ve fallen into some musical dream-landscape of Yorke’s creation.