SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MARK PRITCHARD & THOM YORKE – TALL TALES

MARK PRITCHARD & THOM YORKE
TALL TALES
WARP RECORDS

Electronic musician and producer Mark Pritchard and Radiohead and The Smile frontman Thom Yorke have teamed up to release Tall Tales. When two big-name and innovative creatives join forces like Pritchard and Yorke, it can occasionally lead to massive disappointment or their ambitious tendencies getting the best of them. Tall Tales is not that. It is a great addition to both Pritchard and Yorke’s discography.

As with everything he puts out, Yorke’s vocals are transcendent. In “The White Cliffs”, his falsetto delivery is just as outstanding and unreal as it is in Radiohead or The Smile. Similar things can be said about “This Conversation Is Missing You” as Yorke gives another legendary vocal performance. On “Back In The Game”, Yorke’s vocals are impressive and sound really good combined with the entrancingly dizzying instrumentation.

Pritchard’s contributions to the record are magnificent. His work in the title track gives it a horror landscape, foreboding, terrifying, sinister, and unsettling. The mixing of this song is immaculate as well. Additionally, “Ice Shelf” is a peculiar track in which Pritchard establishes an eerily cold atmosphere through its ambient soundscape. In both tracks Pritchard utilizes his creativity to the max. “The Men Who Dance In Stag’s Heads” shows Pritchard and Yorke at the top of their game as it features extraordinary vocals and storytelling from Yorke and brilliant production work from Pritchard.

There are tons of great songs on this record. “The Spirit” is happier and more upbeat than one might have expected from Yorke. The twinkling, somewhat joyful instrumentation, majestically triumphant and uplifting atmosphere, and Yorke’s bright vocals are a nice change of pace from most of his projects, which are either depressing, melancholic, haunting, or gloomy. Both opposing sides are equally beautiful, though. “Happy Days” is a super fun, playful, whimsical, and insanely catchy tune that feels a bit carnivalesque. The percussion beat is perfectly mixed with Yorke’s voice. Plus, it has a very cool beat to it. Meanwhile, “Gangsters” is weirdly mesmerizing, with some very fascinating synth sounds in play. Lastly, “This Conversation Is Missing You” is a fantastic electronica song, in particular, the strong hooks of the song really stand out.

Overall, Pritchard and Yorke deliver a strong debut as a duo with Tall Tales. If they continue to make albums together, it will be interesting to see what they do next.

Mark Pritchard Links

Thom Yorke Links