The Smile "A Light for Attracting Attention" (2022)

A Light for Attracting Attention [debut]

release date: May 13, 2022

format: digital (13 x File, FLAC - XL1196DA

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]

producer: Nigel Godrich

label: XL Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Same" - 2. "The Opposite" - 3. "You Will Never Work in Television Again" (live on KEXP) - 6. "Speech Bubbles" (live) - 7. "Thin Thing" - 9. "Free in the Knowledge" - 11. "Waving a White Flag" - 13. "Skrting on the Surface" (live)

[ full KEXP live performance, Dec. 2022 ]

Studio debut by project-trio The Smile consisting of the two Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood together with Sons of Kemet-drummer Tom Skinner. The project is one of many offspring-projects during the COVID-19 lockdown. The album counts 13 tracks with a total running time of 53 mins.

Sonically, it appears as another take on the Radiohead / Atoms for Peace musical universe founded on experimental progressive (art) rock - and here with stronger implementation of the electric guitar as opposed to Yorke's solo works and the music Yorke made with Atoms for Peace, where electronic equipment takes up a more present role. In that regard, The Smile offers more room for Greenwood - but basically, it doesn't fall far from later albums by Radiohead.

Thom Yorke is credited as vocalist and for other instrumentation. He's songwriter and together with Greenwood, Skinner and producer Godrich they're all credited composer credits.

The album was met by critical acclaim - several critics noting that there's not much new going on but also answering that it doesn't matter too much because the songs feel new and it just sounds great.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone, NME, The Guardian 4 / 5, Pitchfork 8,6 / 10 stars ]

Gorillaz "Cracker Island" (2023)

Cracker Island

release date: Feb. 23, 2023

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]

producer: Gorillaz and Greg Kurstin

label: Parlophone / Warner - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Cracker Island" (feat. Thundercat) - 2. "Oil" (feat. Stevie Nicks) - 3. "The Tired Influencer" - 4. "Silent Running" (feat. Adeleye Omotayo) - 7. "Tarantula" (feat. Bad Bunny) - 9. "Skinny Ape"

8th studio album under the Gorillaz alias, Damon Albarn once again finds time and room to continue his virtual albeit quite succesful band whenever he's not consuming time with The Good, The Bad & The Queen, or producing stuff for Blur, or he's doing solo projects. The majority of the songs are credited Albarn and new producer Greg Kurstin, but as has become the usual working process, several tracks are co-written with various others. On this it's primarily artists of hip hop and rap. Also, longtime associate Remi Kabaka Jr. is co-producer on four tracks and co-composer on track #8, which also feature Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny (aka Benito Martinez). Track #1 feature Thundercat (aka Stephen Bruner), track #5 feature both Tame Impala and Bootie Brown - the latter first featured on a Gorillaz' single on the track "Dirty Harry" on the band's second album, and then the album also feature two major artists: Stevie Nicks on vocals exclusively on track #2 and Beck (aka Beck Hansen), also as co-composer, on the end track.

Albarn just never seems to disappoint. In contemporary popular music he acts like a fish in water. Whatever he's involved in comes out as right on current parameters for music in tune with what's being asked for. He's no entertainer in a traditional sence, but he certainly knows how to produce entertaining music. At a first listen I thought this one - for once - wasn't quite there, on the spot. But after a few spins, I have to confess, there's absolutely nothing wrong with Cracker Island. It's funky, and it's danceable and entertaining as f...., and thanks to the decision not to dwell on an earlier will to write and compose with various artists from (too) diverse genres and styles, the album is with aid from Remi and Kurstin the experience of one whole rather than a compilation of sorts - as his nonetheless great predecessor Song Machine, Season One - Strange Timez from 2020.

The album has found its way to the top of the British albums chart and has generally been well-received internationally.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Clash, NME, 👍The Guardian 4 / 5, PopMatters 4,5 / 5, 👎Pitchfork 6,5 / 10 stars ]