When I was a very little man, probably three years old, my family took me to the circus. As I observed the caged lions and tigers, I confidently asserted that they were not ferocious beasts, but rather “people dressed up” as animals. Yes, I was a cynic even as a toddler.

In the days since its release, I’ve listened to Radiohead’s The King of Limbs between 40 and 50 times, which suggests two things: 1. I probably need a girlfriend and 2. I LOVE Radiohead. The latter point cannot be overstated - I’m so into them that, on more than one occasion, I’ve actually forgotten to breathe while taking in a new record. Suffice to say, I greeted news of their 8th LP with considerable enthusiasm.

The initial volley of songs on Limbs quickly make it known that the now-legendary Oxford quintet are not content to rest on their laurels. In Rainbows, Part II, this is not. While the warm, amorous aura of In Rainbows remains, Limbs has much more in common with the records that now make up the literal centerpiece of their career - Kid A and Amnesiac.

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From M.I.A's "Kala" to Radiohead's "In Rainbows" and every musical tidbit in between, XL Recordings has released a cavalcade of music in the last year or so. Obviously, they're real darn excited over at XL, because they've put out a compilation, "08/09", of tracks they've been tinkering with and some they are prepping for release later this year.

Highlights include the oft-overplayed (hello KEXP) Peter Gabriel/Hot Chip collab, who render Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" into a much more enjoyable form than it's original, and the surprising soulfulness of the Raconteurs "Many Shades of Black" with Adele at the vocal helm. Damon Albarn's new endeavour with Jamie Hewlett, Monkey, also has a track on this comp. "Heavenly Peach Banquet" is surprisingly delicate and enchanting, like an emotionally stable Coco Rosie or a more youthful, playful Air.

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The band said that they'd try to release an EP with the censored songs on them. I was skeptical but optimistic.

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What is it about Walk It Off that has me so riled up? Well, for one, it sounds like it was recorded off the radio onto a beat up XL-60 cassette.

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Change is something we usually cannot deal with. It at first is creepy and unfamiliar, until we give it a chance … or at least, like most things, get used to it and give it time to grow.

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