Much as My Bloody Valentine did by dropping their latest album at a couple of days notice, so Thom Yorke’s Atoms For Peace have sent the music press scurrying to desperately make their opinion public first, in light of the release of their debut album together, AMOK.
Atoms For Peace, which includes Radiohead front man Thom Yorke, as well as producer Nigel Godrich and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, among others, streamed their album for a limited time on their official site last week ahead of its official release today (February 25, 2013), following reports that it had been leaked onto the internet, and the group have since played their first show in it's support – appearing in London last Friday (February 22, 2013). But what do the critics think of the LP? Opinion seems divided; Uncut magazine couldn’t be more effusive in their praise, writing “A team of skilled journeymen falling in behind an enigmatic guru and his ominous yet often curiously groovy vision.” Clash Magazine back that up, claiming “Amok provides a murky and complicated landscape that sounds like very little else - except the scorched testing ground from which we’ll witness Yorke deservedly going atomic once again.”
However, The Daily Telegraph aren’t so convinced; they say “Yorke seems to have become increasingly conflicted about the very idea of communication, his fondness for cliché indicating a tendency towards self-sabotage.” Their sentiments are backed up by Pitchfork, who write “No doubt these songs will go down a storm in a live setting. But, given the caliber of players Yorke has on hand this time around, it's disappointing that we still have to make that assumption.” Among the chances that Atoms For Peace have to convince live include Melt Festival in Germany, where they’ve recently been confirmed as headliners for the weekend of July 19-21st.
Continue reading: Atoms For Peace Release AMOK Today; But How Do Thom Yorke & Co. Fare With The Critics?
