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a considered opinion: radiohead - “harry patch (in memory of)”, “these are my twisted words”
So, Radiohead have gone and done it again. Much like they did with In Rainbows in 2008, they’ve managed to sneak up on the world with some new music. Either they have somehow managed to prevent the early leaks that plague virtually every major release today, or they have begun putting material out within days of its completion. I’m going with the latter. Unlike the fall of 2008, though, this time around we’re greeted not with an entire album’s worth of (stunning) new material, but two songs (singles? Who’s even counting anymore) released in the same week, “Harry Patch (In Memory Of)” and “These Are My Twisted Words”. Given Radiohead’s unorthodox means of releasing music (i.e. trickling new material out on a song-by-song basis), this will be a somewhat unorthodox considered opinion. But enough of my rambling –the songs:
Thom Yorke was allegedly inspired to write “Harry Patch (In Memory Of)” upon hearing a BBC interview with the titular veteran, who, up until his recent death, was the oldest living World War One survivor. The song’s lyrics are all either directly taken from or inspired by this interview, and it’s no surprise that Yorke felt moved to put Patch’s story to song. The interview, which can be heard here, is a haunting insight into the experiences and memories of a man who refused to speak of the war (even to his wife) for 80 years. Working around Patch’s experiences should have been a walk in the park for Yorke, always one for a spot of doom n’ gloom. It’s genuinely puzzling, then, that “Harry Patch (In Memory Of)” feels so flat. Consisting solely of strings arranged by Johnny Greenwood and Thom Yorke’s yearning warble, it doesn’t even come close to evoking the haunting sensation of listening to Patch himself. Yorke’s vocals sound as though they were shoe-horned to fit around Greenwood’s string arrangement, which sounds like a mixture of a poor man’s Sigur Rós and schmaltzy film scores.
Following quickly on its heels, “These Are My Twisted Words” makes the shortcomings of “Harry Patch” even more evident. Built around a shuffling beat that recalls some of the more driving numbers on In Rainbows and arpeggiated guitars that sound simultaneously fragile and menacing, “Twisted Words” takes its time to warm up, with an instrumental intro lasting until the 2:30 mark. Once they finally do arrive, the vocals are sparse and distant, with Yorke stranded in a distant tunnel of reverb. Though the lyrics are far more oblique and vague than those in “Harry Patch”, Yorke’s repeated chorus of “When are you coming back? I just can’t handle it” sounds far more desperate and urgent than his direct use of Patch’s words.
Ultimately, while “Harry Patch (In Memory Of)” is a compelling idea on paper, and makes for a half-decent eulogy, the execution falls considerably short of its potential. And, while “These Are My Twisted Words” is by no means a great song (and one that certainly doesn’t measure up to some of In Rainbows’ highlights), its lonely pleas and tense guitars shine in comparison.
Some American DOES NOT RECOMMEND Radiohead’s “Harry Patch (In Memory Of)”
Some American does, however, RECOMMEND Radiohead’s “These Are My Twisted Words”
