Atoms For Peace – “Judge, Jury And Executioner”
AMOK, the debut album from Atoms For Peace — Thom Yorke’s new band, also featuring Flea, Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker, and Mauro Refosco — is due out in a few weeks. We’ve already heard one song from the album, “Default,” and now we’ve got one more. “Judge, Jury And Executioner” sounds like a Radiohead song title, and frankly, it also sounds like a Radiohead song — and even more like a Thom Yorke solo song, depending on the extent to which you draw a distinction between the two entities. This is largely due to the presences of Yorke and Godrich, naturally, who have worked together long enough now that their collective voice and vision are unmistakable. (Flea delivers phenomenal bass work, but it sounds nothing like the aggro slapping for which he’s become famous.) It’s maybe a bit smoother and not quite as twitch-inducing as Radiohead, but that’s not a bad thing, and it’s still plenty bleak, rhythmic, and textured, which is definitely a good thing. Check it out.
AMOK is out 1/28 via XL.