It would be hard to get too excited about the thought of a Thom Yorke solo album. Impressions of recent albums is that if it weren't for the presence of the four equally inventive Radiohead members around him, Yorke's voice and ideas would be lost in a tuneless record full of ambiguous political statements. That 'The Eraser' is actually a rather fine and addictive album is a pleasant surprise.

From the outset, there's a welcome influx of bright, electronic beats, some plangent piano keys and a sense of warmth only rarely heard since 'Kid A'. Yorke's vocals are also a pleasant surprise; seldom reverting to mumbling, here they are clear and distinct. 'Black Swan' is one of the few which sounds muffled but its tight electronica is still appealing. 'Atoms For Peace' cannily uses a cute melody to sweeten the dark message but it's 'And It Rained All Night' that comes up trumps for its shimmering, haunting atmosphere. Ironically that is one of the darkest tracks on a record which benefits from avoiding bleakness and instead turns out to be a record that is much more likely to be revisited than either of the last two Radiohead long players.