There’s enough Radiohead fans around that it should be no secret that Thom Yorke had been dabbling with electronica even before Radiohead. While there isn’t any recorded evidence of it that I’ve heard of, it’s come up in interviews. Similarly, Buzzcocks’ Pete Shelley had recorded the Kraftwerk-influenced electronic album, Sky Zen way back in 1974. So punkers who were surprised by his 1981 synthpop album, Homosapien, should have known better. It was no Buzzcocks, but it was pretty good. The Eraser is not quite as radical a departure from Radiohead, and as an electronica album, it’s as good as anything else I’ve heard in the genre in recent years. It’s still pretty tuneful, especially when the intensity is turned up on the second half. “Atoms For Peace” is a highlight, as is “Harrowdown Hill,” which asks some serious questions about the death of British weapons inspector David Kelly. Here Yorke seethes through clenched teeth, and his vocal performance subtly handles the tension with grace. Overall The Eraser is no masterpiece like some have proclaimed, nor a disappointment. It’s just a pleasant surprise that’s intriguing enough to hold us over ’til the next Radiohead album.
