The Smile was created during the lockdowns. Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood had a lot of new ideas they wanted to work on but at the same time the other members of Radiohead were also busy with their own projects.
The band took their name from the title of a poem by Ted Hughes. Yorke said it was “not the smile as in ‘ahh’, more the smile as in the guy who lies to you every day”. Their first appearance came via streaming for Glastonbury Festival, in May 2021, and a year later, their excellent debut, ‘’A Light for Attracting Attention’’, was released. “Enchanting with fascinating ideas”, “without a doubt, the best side-project from members of Radiohead”, “complex as well as wisely simple” are some of the rave reviews from the Media.
“You Will Never Work in Television Again”, “The Smoke”, “We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings” are immediate standouts. A post-punk sound, merging afrobeat and electronica, along with progressive arrangements. The stunning “Pana-vision” was part of the “Peaky Blinders” soundtrack, while “Open The Floodgates” is a dreamy masterpiece, similar to the finest moments of Radiohead.
Their sophomore album, ‘’Wall Of Eyes’’, recorded at the Abbey Road studios, will be released on January 2024. The first single, ‘’Wall Of Eyes’’ is accompanied with a video directed by the great Paul Thomas Anderson, creator of “There Will Be Blood” and “The Master”, in which Greenwood wrote the το soundtrack. P.T. Anderson also worked with Yorke for the 15-minute music video, “ANIMA”, in 2019.
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