Released: 2022

Genres: Art Rock, Krautrock, Math Rock, Chamber Pop, Jazz Rock, Post-Punk

The Musiquarium’s A Light for Attracting Attention Review Score: 5/5

It had already been six years since Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool (their longest gap between albums yet) and fans were getting anxious for a new album, but seemingly out of nowhere, from the ashes of the pandemic came The Smile, a side project featuring Radiohead’s two primary forces: Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood. Joined alongside them was Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, who brings a jazzy edge to Thom and Jonny’s music, distinguishing it from Radiohead’s sound.

Produced by longtime Radiohead and Thom Yorke collaborator, Nigel Godrich, this may initially come off as Radiohead-lite, but upon listening to this album, you will see that The Smile and Radiohead are two very different beasts.

This new project allowed for Thom and Johnny to explore ideas that perhaps the rest of Radiohead weren’t as keen on, such as math rock, post-punk and jazz fusion. As Thom and Johnny are the most prolific writers of the band (Thom with Atoms for Peace, his solo albums and soundtracks) and Jonny (with his award winning film scores), The Smile is where they can pump out as much material as they please without the usually drawn out Radiohead process, but this is by no means a quantity over quality situation.

The Same starts the album off with a clear sense of doom, bolstered by the uncertain times of the 2020s, with pandemics, social injustices and an increasingly wide divide between the wealthy elite and the common man. The Opposite is a jazzier number that showcases Tom Skinner’s jazz drumming abilities and proves why he was able to end up working with such esteemed artists.

You Will Never Work in Television Again is one of the most punk songs that Thom and Jonny have ever made together. Pana-Vision is led by the piano, though it differs vastly from something like, Pyramid Song. The Smoke and Thin Thing display The Smile’s penchant for math rock riffing, with Jonny Greenwood sounding fantastic as ever on the guitar; Thom Yorke’s bass playing is just as impressive.

Speech Bubbles, Free in the Knowledge and Open the Floodgates provide some slowed down balladry for the project. At the end of the album, there’s the brilliantly titled We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings (a somewhat Street Spirit-like song), and the remarkable closer, Skrting on the Surface, which has a guitar riff that sounds like its slipping around on ice.

As much as I enjoyed Thom Yorke’s solo work and Atoms for Peace, this band has provided the essence of Radiohead more than either, and The Smile is essential for any fan of Radiohead.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view The Smile on Discogs.

Back to the 2022 Album Guide or The Smile Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard