Whether you followed Spin Magazine‘s lead to boycott Radiohead’s “special” sound, or you are willing to do anything for a Yorke solo, nothing can prepare you for such blasphemy. You may have seen this spunky blond girl portraying Miley Cyrus’ best friend on Hannah Montana, or perhaps you just noted the resemblance Emily Osment shares with her clairvoyant brother Haley Joel — either way, this video is hard to stomach regardless of the camp you represent.
I suppose it is fathomable to grasp a tween pop newbie like Emily Osment being a fan of Bends/Honey-era Radiohead; after all, “Creep” is still a radio staple and is probably the definitive song for those who yearn to belong. Frankly, Osment’s desperation shines through in her ear-piercing live rendition of Radiohead’s “High And Dry”. Pro- and anti-Yorke parties alike are reaching for the cotton balls, all because this happy snappy gringa decided to rape a perfectly good song with loud wails on the chorus. We refuse to mock Emily Osment’s status amongst the Disney tween market because the company she keeps is not all bad. We refuse to mock the location choice of this particular performance, as a Walmart concert is simply a recession-heavy cycling back of old 80s mall tours. Instead, let us focus on the more apparent problem at hand…the girl can’t sing for shit on a live set.
Word to the wise: If you seek a “High And Dry” definitive cover version, go hunting for a man named Jamie Cullum. He has a decent following in the U.K., and is well known for his jazz piano cover tracks of pop music and Broadway tunes (“Dancing In The Rain”, to name one). To boost his reputation, he has also appeared on the illustrious Austin City Limits at one point.
