The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention
The Smile is a new supergroup consisting of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) as well as Tom Skinner (drummer of Sons of Kemet). The trio was announced with a surprising streaming concert at Glastonbury Festival in May 2021. Since then, they have released multiple brilliant singles culminating in the release of an entire studio album in May 2022 - physical formats of A Light for Attracting Attention are available June 17, 2022.
The Smile sounds like a new creative space for the three members, where there is room for new and varying approaches. The first single, "You Will Never Work In Television Again", is perhaps the closest we will get to a punk-rock song from Thom Yorke. The follow-up single "The Smoke" is a more laid-back track driven by a catchy bass line. The two songs have since been followed by three more singles ("Skrting on the Surface", "Pana-vision" and "Free in the Knowledge"), where the Radiohead connection is evident in the evocative guitar and piano melodies. "Pana-vision" and "Free in the Knowledge" also shine a light on Greenwood's magnificent and elegant string arrangements.