Thom Yorke has done it again: "Anima"

Thom Yorke's new album was "the album" I was waiting for since its announcement and it hit the  digital platforms on June 27th (CD & Vinyl to follow). The album is called "Anima" and it totally deserves the title even after the first listening.

Once can find many meanings in the album within a wide range of concepts from the Latin word anima that describes ideas such as breath, soul or spirit to the Jung's anima that describes the inner feminine side of men.

Credit: Alex Lake

Even better, a short film by Paul Thomas Anderson has also been released on Netflix to accompany the album that really reflects the soul of "Anima".

Here is the official trailer.

And if you want to watch the full film, here's the Netflix link (obviously that will work only for members).

Watch Anima on Netflix

So what's special for me about this album? First of all, it's mostly an electronic album. Thom Yorke has been using a vast amount of electronics in his solo albums but at the same time there is an amazing human element in almost all the songs. The balance between both worlds is what it makes his albums so great...Normally for any listener and any kind of music, the first listening experience of a new song merely satisfies, and to really enjoy a song is only possible after a few rewind and plays. However with Thom Yorke's Anima, this is not the case. The whole 9 songs capture the listener right from the first bars. Second of all, the whole album is like a story that you never wish to end. The flow of the songs and the sounds can easily pull the listener into Thom Yorke's story and the good thing is you don't even care what the story is about. Actually it can be the listener's story or maybe his/her dreams that s/he wishes to remember in the morning. 

As always the case with Radiohead's or Yorke's pieces, the lyrics complement the music in a very powerful way. He very well depicts the dystopian world we live in and questions how deprived we are from joy and fulfillment.

Also a big kudos to Nigel Godrich who has been a long time producer/collaborator of Thom Yorke and was responsible for almost all the musical arrangements in this recording.

Even the promotion for the release of the album was rather interesting and carried out by strange viral ads in London's various tube stations. Here is one of them...

Thank you Thom Yorke for your anxieties, melancholy and above all, your honesty.
Now I leave you and Thom Yorke tete-a-tete with this beautiful song called "Dawn Chorus".

Enjoy the album in moderation, otherwise you might be sucked into it!