The Bends Review: Radiohead Find Their Voice
9/10 — Radiohead - The Bends (1995)
Pros
- 'Fake Plastic Trees' and 'Street Spirit'
- Strong guitar work
- Thom Yorke's vocals
Cons
- Less adventurous
- A few conventional moments
The Bends followed the one-hit debut Pablo Honey and showed the band’s growth, with producer John Leckie and Nigel Godrich as engineer. It’s Radiohead’s most guitar-led record.
What works
‘Fake Plastic Trees’, ‘High and Dry’ and ‘Street Spirit (Fade Out)’ are moving, and ‘Just’ and ‘My Iron Lung’ rock hard. Thom Yorke’s falsetto soars, and the three-guitar attack is thrilling.
Where it falters
It’s less adventurous than the albums that followed, and the sound occasionally drifts into familiar alt-rock territory.
Verdict
A great, emotional guitar album.
