If every groups' sophomore release could be even half as good as Radioheads, we wouldn't see nearly as many one-hit wonder bands fizzle into obscurity after the hype of their first album has come and gone.

Oxfords' Radiohead, of course, came into the spotlight with their nerd-anthem "Creep" (a song they never even intended to be on the album) from their debut, Pablo Honey. Capturing the hearts and ears of creeps everywhere, this song made them one of the few UK bands to break into the US alternative market, but also took its toll on the band. For a while, they were so sick of being "that Creep band," that they refused to play the song live. The album sold remarkably well thanks to the MTV-buzzed single, but many overlooked the fact that the other songs on the album were very admirable in their own right.

Enter Radiohead's second album, The Bends. It could be the musical equivalent of a sleeper hit movie. With no singles as accessible as "Creep", The Bends did not really hit the record-buying public with the force of the previous effort, but critically was hailed by many as an utter masterpiece (in which, I am in total agreement).....Released over a year ago, it has retained a steady place in the US and UK charts, and continues to gain respect and admiration amongst such unlikely peers as Alanis Morrisette (who covers their "Fake Plastic Trees" single).

The word that would describe the Bends is powerful. With sincerely anguished vocals from Thom Yorke (without the Bono pretentiousness), and a 3-guitar lineup, the album kicks into heavy mode with Bonhamesque Kashmir drums and crunching guitars on the opening track, "Planet Telex." It is indeed a heavy guitar album, but never overdone and with the three guitarists each boasting a unique style and the band masterfully arranging their parts, the sections of songs flow seamlessly and beautifully together.

The album mellows out after the first two tracks with "High and Dry" and "Fake Plastic Trees" (the unlikely first single). It's in the slower, sparser tracks that you can really hear the power of Thom Yorke's vocals. Every word drips with sorrow and longing...."if I could be what you wanted, if I could be who you wanted, all the time..." he mourns softly in "Fake", then the song kicks into power-chord bliss and his vocals become more powerful, less pathetic, then triumphant.

"Just" later on, has a Nirvana-esque feel and was the second US single, boasting a very odd video with subtitles, but unlike the former grunge kings, twists and slides through all sorts of directions and changes, ever-evolving with tasteful playing, especially lead guitarist John Greenwoods' superhyper guitar sounds.

The album ends with the latest single, "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", a soft, driving tune with a gorgeous lead guitar line......"this machine will not communicate...these thoughts and the strain I am under", Thom sings, the song never building to a huge climax, just softly flowing and reaching an eventual, perfect ending. And so ends a perfect album.

Radiohead are clearly a quality band who have successfully shrugged off their MTV-buzzbin label. No duds on "The Bends".....all 12 tracks are excellent slices of angst, flawlessly flowing between soft ballads and rockin' guitar-crunch anthems. A sophomore slump?? Not even.....Best album of the 90s???? Perhaps.....