RADIOHEAD - THERE THERE

Guess which one the new Radiohead single is? To call it a single is a bit of a misnomer really. Singles are meant to be memorable. They’re meant to be great songs : They’re meant to be exciting, brilliant highlights from the albums that spawned them.

The problem is “There There” is the runt of the litter. It plods, builds up a crescendo of drums, and then adds a bit of fizzy guitar and some more drumming before falling over, exhausted. And Thom mumbles about something in the middle, but I can’t remember the tune or the words to that. It’s just not very good : either as a song or as a single. Think of the great pop singles of all time : “Blue Monday”. “I Should Be So Lucky”. “The Real Slim Shady”. “Design For Life”. “I Will Survive” – life affirming, important, compact three minute justifications as to why life can be beautiful and brilliant, and to why there’s more to mankind than blowing things up and profit margins.

“There There” is the point farthest from anything exciting, anything memorable, anything that reminds me why Radiohead are a great band sometimes. "There There” is just track nine from the new album on a three song CD with some equally drab b-sides. Of course, you’ll all go out and buy it, it’ll make number one for a week, but by the virtue of being Radiohead and not by the virtue of being any good. Hail To The Thief, Baby.

There’s far better songs on the album. Go and buy that instead.