Thom Yorke is more than Radiohead's front man, he is the voice of the band. His plaintive style renders the wide-ranging music produced by the Oxford band immediately recognizable. So, when word hit that Yorke will release a solo disc, "The Eraser," in July, some of us wondered: are these Radiohead outtakes? Is this his chance to follow a path too uncharted even for Radiohead?

Fans will be happy to find that Yorke hasn't used his solo LP as a dumping ground nor has he taken it as an opportunity to record bird noises and screeching delivery room screaming (thank you John and Yoko). While "The Eraser" -- produced by frequent Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich -- is heavily rooted in electronica and is by no means mainstream, the structure of the tunes is fairly straightforward and the tunes are all melodic and, of course, Yorke's voice is plangent and instantly identifiable.

But, the nine-song set doesn't for a second sound like a Radiohead disc. It lacks that epic quality that even the most intimate-sounding Radiohead disc produces. Instead, songs like the title track feel more like rainy day, alone-time music and "Analyze" benefits from an almost classical vibe. "The Eraser" is cohesive and coherent and far less experimental than one might expect. The result is clearly one of the best records of 2006 to date. It's due in shops on July 11 from XL Recordings.

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