Radiohead releases video for ‘Burn the Witch’; single out Wednesday

If Beyoncé is pop music’s surprise-release avatar of empowerment, Radiohead is its messenger of realism and dread as seen and heard in the band’s new video and accompanying single, “Burn the Witch.�

“Stay in the shadows, cheer the gallows,� Thom Yorke says at the outset of a song colored throughout by insistent strings and a low, droning tone that sounds like a fuzzy mechanical groan or, as depicted in the video, a tiny lawnmower. Gone are the glitchy beat collages of Radiohead’s 2011 release “The King of Limbs,� and in its place are orchestral flourishes and a steady, cinematic build.

With allusions to “red crosses on wooden doors,� apathy and the abandonment of reason, Radiohead’s latest conjures an atmosphere perfectly reflected in the Chris Hopewell-directed clip, which looks a little like “Davey & Goliath� meets the 1973 film “The Wicker Man.�

The single will be released Wednesday, May 4, and comes in the wake of a surprise mailing from Radiohead to its fans this weekend paired with the ominous message “We know where you live.� The news coupled with the band’ decision to wipe clean its social media feeds only furthered speculation that a new album was imminent.

Radiohead is heading out on tour this summer and will perform at the Shrine Auditorium on Aug. 4 and 8.