The Bends is often seen as Radiohead’s first “good” album, and it earns this distinction. Without letting go completely of the style of its predecessor, Pablo Honey, The Bends moves in a new direction and is much more adventurous. It contains some of Radiohead’s most well-known songs ("High and Dry", "Fake Plastic Trees") and some of their most meaningful, emotional work ("Street Spirit" and "Black Star"). The Bends is where the listener begins to hear the genius of Radiohead develop, from the prominence of Thom Yorke’s falsetto vocals to Jonny Greenwood’s grating yet innovative guitar sounds.
The Bends pulls all of this off while still undoubtedly being appealing to the average listener. No one song deviates from the norm so much as to be unlistenable, but the album as a whole pushes forward, redefining both Radiohead’s sound and their direction as a band. Without The Bends, OK Computer could never have been made.
The Bends is a standout album among Radiohead’s catalog, a difficult feat to pull off. While it is not the most musically pleasing or emotional of their works, it is perhaps their only album to stay “mainstream” (at least what mainstream was in 1995) while still setting the stage for true innovation. For this reason, it is a must-listen.