Parenting & Family Quote by Ed O'Brien

It is almost funny how carefully this statement lowers the temperature around a band famous for spiking it. Ed O'Brien is managing expectations in real time: not apologizing for experimentation, but putting it on a leash. The phrasing "for the first time" acknowledges Radiohead's self-mythology - each release as a rupture - while quietly reframing continuity as its own kind of bold move.

The key move is the double reassurance. "We haven't made a huge leap forward" reads like humility, but it is also a preemptive defense against the most predictable criticism of an avant-pop institution: that evolution has become routine, even performative. By naming the absence of a "huge leap", O'Brien signals intention rather than stagnation. This isn't the band running out of ideas; it's the band choosing not to detonate the old ones.

Then comes the fan-service pivot: "Fans who own Kid A should be able to get their heads around it". That line is less about accessibility than about pedigree. Kid A isn't just an album; it's a shibboleth, a badge that says you were there for the hard left turn. O'Brien flatters the initiated while subtly gatekeeping newcomers: if you passed the Kid A test, you'll be fine here. Contextually, it's the early-2000s moment when rock audiences were split between craving disruption and resenting it. O'Brien threads the needle, promising familiarity without conceding normalcy - a calibrated invitation into the band’s carefully curated future.