Radiohead

Item: My Iron Lung
Author: Nolan Shigley

My Iron Lung

(1994)

Reviewed by Nolan Shigley

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Label ParlophoneOpus2000

alternative rock britpop

Originally published at Opus

I know this EP is nearly six years old, but I had never even seen it until now. But when I saw it, I suddenly knew I'd be purchasing some Radiohead material I'd never heard before. "My Iron Lung" was a personal favorite from The Bends album released back in 1994. There's also an acoustic rendition of "Creep" that originally appeared on Pablo Honey. However, there were five other previously unreleased tracks.

The acoustic "Creep" is an almost personal experience, as you listen to Thom's range of vocals over a single acoustic guitar. It's clear the song would've become a hit regardless of what version would've been released. It's strange to think that Radiohead released such a popular tune which many believed would be their only hit. So much for being a flop.

A few of the tracks are comparable to older Sonic Youth. The most notable is "Permanent Daylight," which sounds like it was stripped away from Goo. You can hear Thurston Moore-esque melodies throughout "Permanent Daylight" and "Lewis (mistreated)." "Punchdrunk Lovesick Singalong" is a beautiful, eerie song in which single notes are plucked over a spacey guitar riff, with Thom's voice adding incredible warmth. There's striking resemblance to Starflyer 59 throughout the track.

The final three tracks consist of Thom's voice over guitars. For the most part, they're short, refreshing tunes that resemble "Fake Plastic Trees" from The Bends.