Radiohead had been curiously quiet for some time and then over the weekend disappeared completely (at least on social media).  Today the best-band-in-the-world released a new stop-action video for new/old song Burn the Witch, which may be the first track released off the band’s allegedly forthcoming, as-yet-untitled album. Burn the Witch first appeared in 2003 as a part of the artwork of Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief album. The song was later heard in snippets live, but not to our knowledge ever played in its entirety.

The song and video are ominously dystopian, including the opening lyrics “Stay in the shadows, cheer at the gallows, this is a low-flying panic attack.” Thom Yorke and the boys have never been afraid of the real politik and expressing Orwellian concerns, and this song proves it again. What is different is the music, where the band seems to have made good on its promise of something entirely different.  Gone (on this track at least) are the electronica sounds favored on their most recent recordings, replaced by decidedly analog orchestral strings. Yorke’s sonorous vocals thankfully remain the same.

The video was directed by Chris Hopewell of Jackknife, the same troop that directed Radiohead’s 2003 video for There There (watch at bottom for old times’ sake–a fantastic song still).

The band’s PR states that the song will be “available on all digital services” at midnight (GMT?) tonight.