the latest radiohead: Pay what you want!

"In Rainbows" is the seventh record released by British indierockers Radiohead. What makes this record special, even before you actually listen to it, is that you can only buy it from their website. What's more: they want you to name your own price for downloading it. That's right! If you don't feel like paying anything, you just don't.. You will still be able to download the whole album.. legally and for free.

So how much do you pay for a record that you haven't listened to? Do you pay them for being so original, effectively cutting out the industry bigwigs? Do you rely on their reputation as one of the most influential bands of the last 15 years? Or do you simply download it for free, listen to the album and then go in again and pay what you think is a fair price?

It's up to you. But whatever price you decide, do make sure "in rainbows" finds its way to your mp3 player. Because after a few years of uncertainty about the bands direction and a couple of albums that made fans long back to the days of the Bends or OK Computer, Radiohead is at the top of its game once more.

In Rainbows turns out to be a brilliant reacquaintance with a few lost friends that made us Radiohead fans in the first place. Crunchy drumloops and Greenwood's mercurial guitarwork, weaving its seductive and mournful melodies around Thom Yorke's plaintive wail.

Once the dusts settles around this novel music distribution scheme, In Rainbows will emerge as one of 2007's great albums. So chances are that after listening to it a few times, you'll go back to their website and donate a little more than your initial 50 cents. Or maybe the old-fashioned collectors/artwork lovers among you will wait 'till 2008, when In Rainbows will go on sale through the more traditional channels.