The Bends features a sonic palette that combines guitar-driven songs with ballads, showcasing more refined arrangements and lyrics with an enigmatic tint, distancing themselves from the sound of their debut album, Pablo Honey (1993). Notable singles from this album include "High and Dry" / "Planet Telex," "Fake Plastic Trees," "Just," and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)," which reached the top of the UK charts. The band undertook an extensive tour to promote The Bends, including performances in the United States alongside R.E.M. and Alanis Morissette.
The album debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart and, although its initial sales in the United States were modest, they grew over time thanks to word-of-mouth and the distinctive quality of its music videos. The Bends was recognized in major lists such as Colin Larkin's 1000 Albums of All Time and Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The band felt that this work represented a shift in Thom Yorke's songwriting, moving from personal angst to more cryptic and social themes that would define their future sound. The album cover, created by Stanley Donwood in collaboration with Yorke, was a last-minute piece that merged a photograph of a medical mannequin with Yorke's face.
