A Moon Shaped Pool is a collection of desolate, empty, cold and barren soundscapes. A haunting ensemble of string arrangements throughout. Alongside piano ballads, consisting of the pained raspy voice of Thom Yorke.
The dreamy undertone that possesses the music is a mere illusion to the desperation and isolation of the lyrics being uttered.
A Moon Shaped Pool tells a tale of loneliness, separation and paranoia. It opens with 'Burn the Witch' - which is, in essence, an expose of governmental propaganda and mass hysteria. However, this track is only the gateway to something much darker.
'Daydreaming' is in no way a romantic ballad. Instead, it opts for the more depressing sort. This is only reinforced by the lead piano's chord progression being that of 'D-E-A-D' - quite morbid. Yorke's voice is strained, exhausted. Dreary strings reverb throughout, echoing ever so slightly. It strips away the urgency of the opening track in a matter of minutes, and begins to form a much more somber tone; this theme is only followed by the next track. 'Decks Dark' is hopeless. Helpless. An intense retelling of an alien invasion, of all things, with the motif of nature finally kicking in as the organic soundscapes wildly contrast with the synth-drum pad, heavy bassline and guitar work. The 'artificial' instrumentation engulfs the organic strings as the track goes on, looming until it elegantly passes on, the opening chords of 'Desert Island Disk' pulsating in the backdrop.
Without a doubt, 'Ful Stop' wildly picks up the albums pace. A muted bass and drum rhythm begin to increase in volume as chaotic guitar riffs are occasionally thrown in. The bass and drums finally break through, as if you've just cleared your eardrums of pressure, yet this effect dips in and out, which connotes an unpredictable characterisation of the track. Eventually, the track transforms into a band-wide explosion of beautifully crafted instrumentation, closing with an unexpected guitar solo that drags out into 'Glass Eyes'. The album soon returns to it's established themes and sounds for the remaining tracks.
The finale being 'True Love Waits'. It speaks of an abusive or extremely one-sided relationship, in which the narrator is desperate to do anything as long as their partner stays. With the moving line 'I'm not living, I'm just killing time' alongside the looped keys, only aided by the agonised vocal work, it makes for an extremely melancholy closing.
A Moon Shaped Pools hold a special place amongst Radiohead's discography and in my heart. I first listened to it during a somewhat difficult time period and resonated with certain aspects. This album is not one to listen to casually. It is a very mood oriented piece. The kind of thing you'd listen to at some ridiculously late hour. It is an album that never fails to reduce me to tears.
