Music Review: Anima by Thom Yorke

​ANIMA ANIMA ANIMA: Processing Thom Yorke’s New Album Through Retrospect

By Joanna Patzig

Image Courtesy of Flickr. Image by user anyonlinyr.

First, I want to take a minute to go back to the 2000’s and think about Kid A. I was pretty young then, but I remember how it totally gutted me emotionally, and it was beautiful. Today Radiohead is a big meme territory,  the power of white men whining to electronic music definitely feels dated. Music has changed a lot since those iconic albums, but the bands influence in today's landscape is undeniable from groups like Sigur Rós to MGMT. Thom Yorke’s recent solo album shows a return to the cutting edge of music and tech, reflecting the work of the very musicians that he helped lay groundwork for. Anima presents a multimedia vision complete with a short film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It’s definitely Yorke’s most dynamic solo album to date, and it’s super contemporary sound is fascinating. 
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Initially, I was startled by the wandering overtures and synths over intense drums. It directly borrows that blown up edm sound popularized by labels like Border Community and PC Music, and it’s pretty intense. I’m definitely a sucker for that seductive “drum whispering right into your ear” effect, and it pairs well with Yorke’s droning voice. In contrast, there’s also an ambient quality to the album from the orchestral instrumentation, pace, and volume. It feels loud even with the volume low, and although it doesn’t sound busy it’s hard to multitask when listening to it. The accompanying film pulls you in with fast paced beauty as well, taking everyday city scenes and twisting them into a kafkaesque dance starring York and his partner Dajana Roncione. The video is fifteen minutes and streaming on Netflix, but the shots are clearly meant for the big screen. 

At the end of the day, I think it’s a crazy cool production, although maybe not as versatile as Yorke’s earlier work. Anima has a stunning intensity and composure that demands full listening, and I’m glad the confusing dream work of it was taken to a cinematic place. Yorke and producer Nigel Godrich succeeded in tapping into the latest trends in music production to interesting effect, but I’m drawn to the work more for Yorke’s emotional clarity. The song Dawn Chorus, at the center of the album and the end of the film, strips down the drumline and drives right into my feelings. Kid A felt all too listenable to me as a young adult, but Anima’s  contemporary vibe brings other good qualities embodied in Dawn Chorus like hope, and energy. Ultimately, Yorke’s whining voice still leaves me emotionally raw in the best way. 
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