By Katherine Barton

Radiohead released their newest album, A Moon Shaped Pool, in the last week and it quickly became a top-selling album. The band again has shown their ability to create music that represents happiness, emptiness, and disconnect. The album includes the songs “Burn the Witch,” “Daydreaming,” “Decks Dark,” “Desert Island Disc,” “Full Stop,” “Glass Eyes,” “Identikit,” “The Numbers,” “Present Tense,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief,” and “True Love Waits.” The first two songs are their singles.

“Burn the Witch” is both haunting and beautiful with unsettling lyrics such as “we know where you live” and a devolving musical track.

“Daydreaming” has a music video that helps explain its meaning. It features a smooth and relaxing instrumental piano that melts into York’s lyrics like “dreamers, they never learn…beyond the point of no return” and visually shows Thom wandering through different doorways and life paths he could have taken. This nonlinear representation captures the idea of cognitive disconnect one may experience from daydreaming.

“The Numbers” is an appreciation for the beauty in the world and its importance, and how we may save it. They reference the cyclical nature of life with “We are of the Earth. To her we do return” that reminds us of the connection we have. It is a call to action with “We’ll take back what is ours.”

The album ends with the song “True Love Waits.” This encompasses A Moon Shaped Pool in the reoccurring idea of not reaching a conclusion in the lyrical story line. It also has some the band’s usual heart-heavy sadness with “Just don’t leave. Don’t Leave” as the chorus.