Thom Yorke's first solo effort is another record I had no idea about. I suspected that it would sound like "The Thom and Johnny Show," which is how I tend to describe Radiohead's electronic meanderings when I'm feeling charitable. As it turns out, I was both right and wrong, and The Eraser surprised me. It's unpretentious, straightforward, and, well, pretty good. It's largely electronic -- mostly sparse melodic loops over stuttering synthetic rhythms -- but there are real keyboards, and even (gasp) guitars to be heard. What's really interesting is that if this performance is any indication, the material really holds up live. I'll be very curious to see if a sanctioned live EP ever surfaces.

The album is pretty light and maintains the same steady mellow mood throughout. I don't think that hurts it, as it isn't long enough that the tracks really start to blur together. Still, it isn't exactly upbeat. I also found that The Eraser got lost a little bit midway through, wandering off into musical diddling, but it found itself again by the end without losing my attention.

If the electronic bits of Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief were as good as the ones on The Eraser, I'd probably listen to those two Radiohead albums a lot more than I do. This is definitely a step forward from that material, and bodes well for future Radiohead releases (something the band says are a long way off). The Eraser will certainly keep me interested in the meantime.

The Record: The Eraser (Thom Yorke), 2006
One-line verdict: Mellow, but pretty good.
Standount Tracks: The Eraser, Black Swan