Thom Yorke's Modern Economy

Surprise albums used to be a major event. Thom Yorke knows this better than anyone: back in 2007, Radiohead released In Rainbows on just 10 days' notice, and its tip-jar style payment method was a pivotal moment for an industry still struggling to come to grips with online piracy. This paved the way for a generation of young indie bands to release pay-what-you-want music on Bandcamp.

It was a fantastic stunt. These days, however, surprise albums are beginning to lose their novelty. Beyoncé thrilled fans when she unveiled her self-titled collection last December, but U2 encountered widespread scorn last month when they forced Songs of Innocence on unwilling iTunes users. Other recent out-of-the-blue albums have come from Skrillex, Kid Cudi and My Bloody Valentine.

Last week, Yorke released his new solo effort Tomorrow's Modern Boxes without warning, making it available to fans as a $6 BitTorrent download. And while fans are certainly excited about the album's arrival -- as of press time, the torrent has been downloaded almost 928,000 times -- it hasn't been the industry-shaking event that In Rainbows was.

For the music industry, a surprise album from a major artist is quickly becoming just another day at the office. It doesn't help matters that Tomorrow's Modern Boxes is a short, humble affair. It sounds more or less like what you'd expect from a new Thom Yorke album: the eight tracks showcase the dense rhythmic jumble of his recent works with Radiohead and Atoms for Peace, while the sonic palette builds upon the electronic style he explored with his 2006 solo album The Eraser.

It's an enjoyable collection, full of complex drum machine stutters, sci-fi synths and characteristically cryptic mumbles. "The Mother Lode" is particularly immersive, as the songwriter's falsetto flutters beautifully atop pillowy ambient tones. Reverb-kissed closer "Nose Grows Some" is another standout, Yorke's sleepy coos given an undercurrent of tension by the uneasy chord changes.

But unlike many of Yorke's best prior works, these songs don't give listeners much to hold on to: there isn't a single earworm melody, and the lyrics are opaque and difficult to decipher. Even after multiple listens, I'm not sure that I could recognizably sing any of these songs. "Creep" this most definitely isn't.

Still, even if Tomorrow's Modern Boxes hasn't brought the music world to its knees, Yorke is laughing all the way to the bank. After all, 928,000 for $6 a pop is, well, you do the math.