Radiohead’s second album, The Bends, is one of many proclamations to the British band’s astounding resilience and diversity. Interestingly, the title refers to a decompression sickness that deep-sea divers experience when coming up too quickly from a dive—an allusion to the sudden fame gained from the band’s hit single “Creep” off of their first album, Pablo Honey.
The Bends (which is thankfully much different than Pablo Honey) is a refreshing mixture of melodic ballads. The album’s twelve tracks are filled with longing, revelation and critiques of both culture and the human condition. Enveloping guitar arpeggios by Mr. Johnny Greenwood are interlaced with the exquisite tonalities of vocalist Thom Yorke creating a beautifully cohesive collection. Each song has the ability to hold its own weight and bring its own unique quality to the album, with the most recognizable stand-out-hits being “High and Dry” and “Fake Plastic Trees”. However, they save the best for last with "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", a song so brilliantly arranged and organically crafted that its swirling harmonies provide a perfectly soothing mood to end the listening experience. Its final words (and the album’s overall message) being: "Immerse your soul in love."
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