Radiohead, “Kid A,” “Amnesiac” and “Hail to the Thief” Collectors Editions (Capitol)
Radiohead broke cleanly from its guitar-driven past on 2000’s “Kid A,” an album more influenced by the jittery electro sounds of Richard D. James than the distorted squall of Sonic Youth or the Pixies. It followed with the low-key sister album “Amnesiac” (2001) and the relative return to form “Hail to the Thief” (2003).
In our age of instant nostalgia, it makes sense that Capitol is already reissuing those albums, both in collector’s editions (with a second disc of B-sides and live tracks) and a “special” collector’s edition (with DVDs of videos and TV appearances). Radiohead’s first three albums received the same treatment in March, and since their most recent disc (2007’s “In Rainbows”) was self-released, this is Capitol’s chance to milk the archives.
Fortunately, these versions are well worth the purchase price, collecting rare B-sides and live tracks from such brilliant EPs as “I Might Be Wrong.” Tracks like “Cuttooth” (from the “Knives Out” single) are especially strong and could easily stand as album tracks. John Wenzel
Colbie Caillat, “Breakthrough” (Universal
Republic)
With her second full-length record, singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat, left, proves that there is something in the Southern California water she’s been drinking most of her life.
Malibu-born Caillat makes music that is a close cousin to that of Santa Barbara’s Jack Johnson. These sunny, inoffensive songs are born on acoustic guitar and then fleshed out to something more suitable for radio. The lyrics speak of love and friendship. It’s music for the beach, the cabana, the pool. And that relaxing quality is why Caillat was such a breakthrough in 2007 with the MySpace hit “Bubbly.”
“Breakthrough” is a natural follow to her debut, “Coco.” Catchy songs like “Rainbow” and the title track are breezy and light and, yes, a little bit ridiculous. As Caillat writes in her liner notes: “Music is for you to listen to and forget about your worries.” And her songs — including the current radio hit “Fallin’ For You” — do indeed make for somewhat-mindless listening. Ricardo Baca
