Radiohead — The Bends

LP on Black Vinyl or Compact Disc Originally released in 1995, The Bends is the second studio album by Radiohead. Building from the sweeping, three-guitar attack that punctuated the best of 1993’s debut Pablo Honey, The Bends is grand and forceful; it resonates with anguish and despair. Although the influences —R.E.M., the Pixies and U2 — are still there, this is unmistakably Radiohead maturing and defining their own sound. Displaying a far more expansive approach than its predecessor, The Bends marries such ambitious and often challenging instrumental soundscapes to songs that are at their cores hauntingly melodic and accessible. It’s an essential album of the ‘90s and a spectacular indicator of the greatness still to come. Released: 5/20/16