Pablo Honey: Radiohead's superb statement of intent

Listening to Radiohead's debut album Pablo Honey today, it's easy to see how the Oxfordshire quintet evolved into one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful bands of all time. The diverse trio of guitar sounds that helped define their classic second album The Bends are present, and some of the experimentation that became prominent on records such as Kid A and Hail to the Thief can also be heard on Pablo Honey. It's therefore remarkable that at it's time of release in 1993 the album was largely ignored, lost amongst the sea of grunge and Britpop that had come to dominate popular music. It wasn't until the hit single Creep began to receive major radio airplay several months later that the album was truly recognised, but is this early stage in Radiohead's career as powerful as it was more than twenty years ago?


Many of the dominant elements on Radiohead's later releases can be heard on Pablo Honey, but this first incarnation of a band that would go on to sell over thirty million albums took more inspiration from American grunge bands such as Nirvana than the myriad of groups that influenced their later, greater records. Indeed, Nirvana nurtured techniques including stark contrast between violent and soft guitar playing and dark, tortured lyrics can be heard most obviously on the album's lead single Creep. The influence of Nirvana is also plain to see on Thom Yorke's vocals, with the singer at least partially attempting to mirror the style of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.

Even so, on Pablo Honey Radiohead were already beginning to develop distinctive musical styles and traits,  the system of three guitarists playing drastically different parts simultaneously proving key on the record. It's particularly noticeable on songs like Anyone Can Play Guitar, where easy comparisons can be drawn to their 1995 anthem The Bends.

As a record, it's easy to say that Pablo Honey packs less punch than it's phenomenal successors, but as a debut album by a young band it's a surprisingly accomplished and innovative release. Looking back on Radiohead's long career, Pablo Honey is an import milestone in the band's story.

6/10