O'Brien, a member of Radiohead, had been writing music for years, but lacked confidence and felt his songs did not fit with Radiohead. After abandoning plans to make electronic music, he made demos with the producer Ian Davenport in 2014, then recorded with Flood from late 2017 to early 2019. The music was inspired by his time living in Brazil and attending Carnival.
Earth received mostly positive reviews. O'Brien began a North American tour in February 2020; the full Earth tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Writing and recording
O'Brien is a member of the English band Radiohead, whose primary songwriter is Thom Yorke.[4] O'Brien had written his own music for years, especially around the time of Radiohead's 1997 album OK Computer, but had never written lyrics. He said: "I was a bit like a dog at the Battersea Dog's Home – I had no self-confidence, I was slightly beaten up."[4] He wrote "Banksters" in 2009 in response to the 2007–2008 financial crisis.[4]
In 2012, O'Brien and his family moved to Brazil, living for a year on a farm near Ubatuba. O'Brien planned to create electronic music using Ableton Live, inspired by dubstep and Burial, but found it "didn't resonate with me in Brazil". Instead, he was inspired by the 1991 album Screamadelica by Primal Scream: "I put Screamadelica on for the first time in years and I had a fucking eureka moment ... It was rave, and it was connectedness, it was hope, it was powerful."[4] He described attending Carnival as another "eureka moment",[5] and was inspired by "the spirit and being in Brazil ... open-heartedness, rhythm, colour".[4] Other influences included Earth, Wind & Fire, Arcade Fire, Underworld, Bill Withers, Talking Heads and the "Celtic, folky" music of Led Zeppelin.[6]
O'Brien suspended work on his solo music when Radiohead began working on their ninth album, A Moon Shaped Pool, in mid-2014.[7] Early in the sessions, they worked on O'Brien's songs, but found that they did not fit Radiohead. O'Brien said: "Radiohead is about the communal, but it's also about serving the songs of Thom. It's not set up to serve the songs of me. It was very obvious. I was a bit crestfallen at first, but I'm so glad. I had to make this journey without my brothers."[7] Additionally, O'Brien felt his music had a "distinct energy" that would be lost if it became a "hybrid product".[8] He initially worried what his Radiohead bandmates would think of the album, but decided: "Fuck that, I have to just be myself ... Of course you want the approval of your bandmates but it's not the be-all and end-all. This is my own thing. It's different to Radiohead."[9]
O'Brien initially planned to have someone else sing, and considered asking Yorke.[4] He decided to sing after he was pleased with the demo recordings he made with the producer Ian Davenport in 2014.[8] He recorded with the producer Flood from late 2017 to early 2019,[4] at Plas Dinam in the Cambrian Mountains[10] and Flood's Assault & Battery Studios in London.[4] O'Brien wanted to call the album Pale Blue Dot, in reference to the 1990 photograph of Earth, but was prevented by copyright problems. He chose Earth as it was direct and he did not want anything ironic, obtuse or mysterious.[4]
In late 2019, O'Brien launched social media accounts to promote the album. On 4 October, he released his debut work, the non-album track "Santa Teresa". Stereogum described it as a "haunting, keening" ambient instrumental in the style of Brian Eno and Fennesz.[13]
The first single from Earth, "Brasil", was released as a limited 12" vinyl on 5 December 2019,[14] with a video directed by Andrew Donoho. The video shows humanity's response to an alien force that brings about greater community and understanding.[15] On 6 February 2020, O'Brien announced the album title, release date and track list, and released the second single, "Shangri-La".[16] The third single, "Olympik", was released on 2 April.[17] "Cloak of the Night", a duet with Laura Marling, was released on 9 April 2020.[18]
O'Brien began a tour in February 2020, performing in Toronto, Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles.[19] A more expansive tour, with performances at larger venues and music festivals worldwide, was planned for mid-2020 but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[20][21] While promoting the album in interviews, O'Brien fell ill. In late March, he said he was recovering from a suspected COVID-19 infection.[22]
On the review aggregate website Metacritic, Earth has a score of 70 out of 100 based on 14 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[24] The review aggregator website AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.8 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[23]
Writing for Clash, Sophie Walker gave Earth a positive review, writing that it was "a reassuring anchor in these chaotic times ... The on-edge instrumentation has distinct echoes of [O'Brien's] Radiohead days, proving that unlike many bandmates that split from their main gig, O'Brien is in no rush to shake off their signature, and instead brings it forward into his own work: always evolving, always maturing."[1] The MusicOMH critic John Murphy wrote that Earth was "well worth the wait", and particularly praised the vocals: "O'Brien's voice is surprisingly strong and varied – on 'Shangri-La' it switches between a falsetto and his more usual lower range ... While he may not be as distinctive as Thom Yorke (and let's face it, few are), it's good to hear him take a more prominent role than his usual backing vocals."[26]
The NME reviewer Andrew Trendell praised "Brasil", saying that it "captures the full and kaleidoscopic range of this record; it's one-part tender folk lament and one-part dancefloor banger". Trendell concluded that "O'Brien's personality shines through, and it's a pleasure to get to know him. It's tempting to conclude he's Radiohead's secret weapon."[12] In Rolling Stone, Angie Martoccio called Earth an "exceptional solo debut"; he praised O'Brien's vocals and considered "Cloak of the Night" the album's "gut-wrenching highlight".[27] Dylan Barnabe of Exclaim! wrote that Earth was "an impressive solo debut from O'Brien" and "one of this year's more fully formed albums", with "swaths of texture and sonic landscapes that unfold amid layered synth, soaring guitars, rattling percussion and O'Brien's unwavering vocals".[25]
Martin Toussaint from DIY gave Earth a lukewarm review, saying it "might provide moments of hope and compassion across its runtime, but for the majority it feels too indirect and underplayed".[28] Emily Mackay of The Observer said that "for all its ambition, [Earth] will mainly be of interest to Radiohead completists".[3] Timothy Monger of AllMusic wrote that "Earth often recalls the late 90s, when the aftermath of Britpop and the burgeoning electronica scene collided with rave, folk, and other disparate elements ... While those layered textures, pulsing beats, and unfolding guitar loops are fine, it's EOB as a reflective acoustic singer/songwriter that provides Earth's most authentic moments."[2]
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. They comprise Thom Yorke ; brothers Jonny Greenwood and Colin Greenwood (bass); Ed O'Brien ; and Philip Selway. They have worked with the producer Nigel Godrich and the cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994. Radiohead's experimental approach is credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock.
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Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood is an English musician. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Radiohead, and has composed numerous film scores. He has been named one of the greatest guitarists by numerous publications, including Rolling Stone.
Thomas Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. Rolling Stone described Yorke as one of the greatest and most influential singers of his generation.
Edward John O'Brien is an English guitarist, songwriter and member of the rock band Radiohead. He releases solo music under the name EOB.
Colin Charles Greenwood is an English bassist and a member of the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays upright bass and electronic instruments.
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"Just" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, included on their second album, The Bends (1995). It was released as a single on 21 August 1995 and reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart.
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The Eraser is the debut solo album by the English musician Thom Yorke, released on 10 July 2006 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Nigel Godrich, the longtime producer for Yorke's band Radiohead.
"The Bends" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead from their second studio album, The Bends (1995). In Ireland, it was released by Parlophone on 26 July 1996 as the album's sixth and final single, and reached number 26 on the Irish Singles Chart.
Laura Beatrice Marling is a British folk singer-songwriter. She won the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for the same award at the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Brit Awards.
"True Love Waits" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. Radiohead worked on it for over two decades before releasing it on their ninth album, A Moon Shaped Pool (2016).
A Moon Shaped Pool is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released digitally on 8 May 2016, with a retail release on 17 June 2016 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Radiohead's longtime collaborator Nigel Godrich.
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"Brasil" is a song by the English musician Ed O'Brien, released under the name EOB. It was released on 5 December 2019 as the lead single from O'Brien's debut album, Earth.
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