Oklahoma trio Other Lives joined Radiohead for their The King of Limbs tour and they basically sound like what you’d expect from a Radiohead support band. With Atoms For Peace drummer Joey Waronker reeled in as co-producer, Rituals apes the textbook Radiohead sound, but it’s a collection that lacks spark and is devoid of surprises.
In keeping with the Thom Yorke modus operandi, anxiety and uncertainty are explored through the lens of an obsession with and fear of technology. Throughout, there’s an icy sense of isolation, which is heightened by the record’s skittering electronica framework. Jesse Tabish’s vocal drifts eloquently atop the fusion of organic and electronic instrumentation, sometimes recalling the lulling folk of Jose Gonzales, other times the angelic highs of Active Child.
However, Rituals mostly inhabits a pleasant, indistinct middle ground. Positioned at the half-way point, the formidable 2 Pyramids is the clear stand-out, making you hope for a riskier, deeper side B. But instead it’s followed by a run of same-y lesser tracks. With a lack of dynamics hindering its 14 tracks, Rituals needs an editor as particular as its producer.
BY CHRIS GIRDLER
