Radiohead's new album is surprisingly joyful

Pop's latest moon landing happened Tuesday around midnight Pacific time, when the download code for Radiohead's "In Rainbows" hit inboxes around the world. The English band startled the music industry when it announced this release 10 days ago, inspiring much debate about record pricing and the fate of major labels in light of artists taking complete control of their careers. That story is a fascinating one, still unfolding. But there's also the matter of the music itself.

By Ann Powers

October 11, 2007