Quite arguably one of the greatest rock and roll bands of our time, the legacy of Radiohead began in the 1980′s, where the then unknown group of Oxford teens studied music together in a private school setting. Breaking onto the major music scene in the 1990′s with their huge alternative hit, “Creep”, the band saw success with their debut Pablo Honey, and it’s follow-up, The Bends. But with subsequent releases Ok, Computer and Kid A, Radiohead was thrust into a league of their own, redefining the idea of what a rock and roll can and should be.

      With a total of six scarily consistent studio albums in the can, Radiohead have become untouchable gods of rock music, naturally lending themselves to a tribute album of sorts in Exit Music: Songs For Radioheads. Forward thinking indie imprint, BBE, has tapped some of today’s most talented and under-appreciated artists to re-interpret a series of Radiohead classics, touching upon everything from Pablo Honey to Amnesiac (sorry, Hail To The Thief fans).

      The liner notes of the album read, “People get confused about cover versions, they are a labor of love, not some sort of disrespectful treatment of the classics. Everyone involved in the Exit Music project loves the music of Radiohead.” Listening to the album, this statement couldn’t be further from the truth, as this diverse group of musicians lends their signature styles to the songs of Thom Yorke and company. 

     Not exactly structured as an “album” per se, Exit Music may be hard for listeners unfamiliar with Radiohead to digest in one sitting. But taken on a song by song basis, there are several moments of brilliance included within. Producer Pete Kazuma enlists neo-soul vocalist Bilal for his chilled-out rendition of “High and Dry” (from The Bends), trading the original’s acoustic guitar backdrop for jazzy bass and handclaps that would make J. Dilla proud. RJD2 chimes in for a choppy, beat-driven take on OK, Computer’s timeless opener, “Airbag”, replacing Thom’s vocals with seemingly submerged keyboards. 

      Some of the more “experimental” covers take things in their own direction, while remaining, for the most part, faithful to the source material. ?uestlove and James Poysner’s Randy Watson Experience crafts a jazzy reworking of “Morning Bell” (from Kid A), transforming it into an almost unrecognizable nine-minute magnum opus, as Donn lends her breezy over Ahmir’s rhythmic drumming. The same can be said for the Sa-Ra Creative Partners’ crack at “In Limbo” (from Kid A), which overlooks the original’s lofty sinking feeling, and tries on schizophrenic, spaced-out Prince-inspired drum programming for size, for better of for worse. The Bad Plus lends an unapologetic balls-to-the-wall jazz reworking of “Karma Police” (from Ok, Computer), doubling the length of the original version, allowing them to stray the course – a lot. 

      But the best cover on here? It’s arguable – Osunlade & Erro’s treatment of the Kid A opener, “Everything In It’s Right Place” is so faithful to the original, but lends an entirely new level of depth to it, with hard-hitting sampled funk drums, didjeridoos, and a perfectly timed piano breakdown, not to mention dead-on vocals.  But winner of the bunch is Mark Ronson’s funky rendition of “Just” (from The Bends). Enlisting The Dap Kings on horns, and Phantom Planet’s Alex Greenwald on vocals, this is easily the most interesting re-interpretation on the record. Damn it’s good. 

      Longtime fans of Radiohead will appreciate this record, even if only at certain moments. For the casual listener or unfamiliar ear, Exit Music may sound like a jumbled mess of different sounds and styles, but after a couple of listens, they may find themselves accidental fans of Radiohead.