The great Radiohead mystery machine is underway, with new album jitters in full bloom after the band broke new ground in their anti-promotional campaign, deleting all social media and casting an all-white page for their official site.
Now, following a series of stop-motion Instagram clips, fans can finally hear the new Radiohead track “Burn The Witch” below, from their upcoming new album (the track will be available digitally on May 4). The song is a delightful departure from the abstract-nightmare sparse-synthscape nightmare soundtracks we’ve grown accustomed to from the band, with lush strings working over pulsing percussion and a low bass drone, while frontman Thom Yorke delivers another dose of his delicious signature abstract sociopolitical damnation.
The stop-motion video was directed by Chris Hopewell, and produced by Jacknife. Watch below as denizens of a small village accuse its citizens of committing various sinful acts, with a very Wicker Man style finish.
The song, a long-cooking title in Radiohead lore, was prefaced recently by frontman Thom Yorke posting lyrical segments from the track on the band’s official site:
Just a matter of time now before the full LP comes down the pipe…
“Burn The Witch” single artwork:
Radiohead on tour:
05-20-21 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Heineken Music Hall
05-23-24 Paris, France – Le Zénith
05-26-28 London, England – Roundhouse
06-01 Lyon, France – Les Nuits Des Fourvieres
06-03 Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound Festival
06-17 Reyjkavik, Iceland – Secret Solstice
07-02 St. Gallen, Switzerland – Openair St. Gallen
07-08 Lisbon, Portugal – Nos Alive Festival
07-26-27 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
07-29 Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
07-31 Montreal, Québec – Osheaga Music and Arts Festival
08-04 Los Angeles, LA – Shrine Auditorium
08-06 Golden Gate Park, CA – Outside Lands
08-08 Los Angeles, LA – Shrine Auditorium
08-20 Osaka, Japan – Summersonic Festival
08-21 Tokyo, Japan – Summersonic Festival
09-11 Berlin, Germany – Lollapalooza
10-03-04 Mexico City, Mexico – Palacio de los Deportes