The Shuffle: Atoms for Peace, “Default”
By Nick Ocheltree at October 1, 2012 | 1:24 pm | Print
It is and always will be impossible for Thom Yorke’s cavernous tenor to be divorced from his identification with Radiohead, arguably the best band ever to come out of the Progressive Rock movement. But if the second best option is extending his influence, he’s done a phenomenal job with the first true single from Atoms for Peace.
No one can blame Yorke for being attached at the hip to producer Nigel Godrich. Wouldn’t you keep his number on speed dial? And apparently Flea is in the mix somewhere within the supergroup, although I couldn’t tell you where. No matter: “Default” is great. The most accurate comparison I can muster would be Yorke’s 2006 solo album “The Eraser,” although there’s no disputing that he has advanced well-beyond his minimalist approach from six years ago. There is actually a hook here. The Atari-glitch overdub is inescapably well-placed right alongside what sounds like intermittent strums of an out-of-tune mandolin.
Yorke promises a full album from Atoms for Peace in early-2013.