4 stars

Radiohead has always seemed to have a knack for doing things its own way.

Many consider it to be the greatest band of the late 90s and the new millennium. The band’s music defies traditional genres. And with the recent release of its new album, In Rainbows, via a Web site where users can download it for whatever amount they want, the band resists and possibly looks to revolutionize the record industry.

But, after all this hullabaloo about Radiohead essentially waving a big middle finger at the record labels has died down, the question remains: Is their new album any good?

The answer, quite simply, is yes.

Frontman Thom Yorke croons his way through 10 tracks of melancholy goodness over jazzy backdrops and haunting rhythms, putting his fragility on hold for only a few upbeat songs such as “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” and “Bodysnatchers.”

It would be hard not to recommend an album that one can pay nothing for and still do with it as one pleases, but considering that this record is actually good, there is really no reason for anyone to not go and get this CD. It’s not as guitar-driven as Radiohead’s older stuff, but it’s certainly not as abstract as 2000’s Kid A, Radiohead breaks new ground business-wise with In Rainbows and produces a stellar album to boot.