Ed O’Brien has released Blue Morpho, his second solo album and first issued under his own name, marking a shift in how the Radiohead guitarist presents his work outside the band.
by Paul Cashmere
Ed O’Brien has released Blue Morpho via Transgressive, with the project representing a significant transition in the career of the longtime Radiohead guitarist. While O’Brien previously issued solo work under the EOB name, Blue Morpho is the first release credited directly to him, arriving after several years of writing, experimentation and personal upheaval that shaped the album’s direction.
The release carries significance beyond the arrival of a new record. For an artist whose role in Radiohead has traditionally centred on atmosphere, texture and support rather than front-facing authorship, Blue Morpho signals a repositioning. O’Brien has described the process as moving beyond previous insecurities around songwriting and identity, stepping away from a pseudonym and presenting the material without distance between artist and work.
The album also reflects a broader pattern within contemporary music where established members of major bands increasingly develop solo catalogues that diverge sharply from the expectations attached to their primary projects. Rather than attempting to replicate Radiohead’s sound, O’Brien has leaned further into meditative structures and open-ended arrangements.
A recurring influence during the making of the record was a line often cited by O’Brien from American poet and farmer Wendell Berry: “To know the dark, go dark.” That idea became a thematic framework for Blue Morpho, a record developed during a period of reflection and recovery.
Produced by Paul Epworth alongside Riley MacIntyre of Ezra Collective, the album emerged through extended improvisational sessions in Wales and at London’s Church Studios. O’Brien has framed the process as a way of processing emotional disruption and renewal through sound.
The sonic architecture moves through hypnotic psych-folk, layered guitars and trip-hop textures, with the eight-minute opener “Incantations” establishing the tone early. The track, first unveiled in April, unfolds slowly and places atmosphere ahead of conventional verse and chorus structures. The title track, “Blue Morpho”, similarly functions as a thematic centrepiece, drawing on ideas of nature, healing and transformation.
A range of collaborators broaden the album’s scope. Saxophonist and composer Shabaka Hutchings contributed flute arrangements following discussions with O’Brien around resonance and frequency. Dave Okumu added guitar work across the project, while vocalist ESKA also appears on the recordings. Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits arranged string sections performed by the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra.
Flood assisted with sequencing, while Ben Baptie handled the final mix.
Blue Morpho arrives six years after O’Brien’s debut solo album Earth, which was released in 2020 under the EOB name. Earth emerged from O’Brien’s experiences living in Brazil and drew heavily from rhythm and environmental influence. However, its touring cycle was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting its long-term development as a live project.
Outside his solo catalogue, O’Brien’s profile has remained closely linked to Radiohead. Since the group’s formation at Abingdon School in Oxfordshire during the mid-1980s, O’Brien has occupied a distinctive place within the band’s internal structure. Rather than functioning as a conventional lead guitarist, his work often centred on effects, sustained textures and sonic space, elements that became fundamental to albums including The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A and In Rainbows.
His contribution has often been understated in comparison with bandmates Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, despite industry recognition. Rolling Stone named O’Brien among the greatest guitarists of all time in both 2010 and 2023, recognising the role his atmospheric playing has had in defining Radiohead’s sound.
There is also an industry context surrounding Blue Morpho. The project arrives during a period in which artists from established groups increasingly use solo releases to pursue work that may not fit within a band’s established identity. O’Brien’s approach differs from projects designed around commercial reinvention. The emphasis here remains on process, collaboration and experimentation.
The album’s companion film, Blue Morpho: The Three Act Play, has already screened internationally after premiering at SXSW in Austin. Directed by Kit Monteith and filmed in Wales, the work offers a visual document of O’Brien’s creative process. Additional screenings and release details are expected to follow.
For O’Brien, Blue Morpho appears less concerned with redefining his place in Radiohead and more focused on establishing a clearer picture of his own artistic voice. After decades spent supporting songs from within one of modern music’s most influential bands, the latest release presents a body of work carrying his own name at the forefront.
Blue Morpho Tracklist
Incantations
Blue Morpho
Sweet Spot
Teachers
Solfeggio
Thin Places
Obrigado
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