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.
