Generation Mixtape

Released: January 26, 2024

By design, side projects aren’t supposed to rival an artist’s day job. If anything, they are bastions of creative whims and self-indulgence—an artistic distraction, if you will. But in the case of The Smile’s debut (A Light For Attracting Attention), Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood assembled a potent mix of accessibility and brazen experimentation. The trio’s music (rounded out by Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner) drew comparisons to Radiohead’s best work. Considering the parties involved, it makes total sense, but many fans hoped The Smile meant the Radiohead giant was beginning to stir.

Of course, Yorke and Co. never considered The Smile an ancillary extension of their (former?) band. Still, given Yorke’s propensity for project juggling, one couldn’t help but wonder if the group’s incredible debut was just another artistic fling. It’s a question that the trio’s sophomore release, Wall of Eyes, summarily puts to rest.

Wall of Eyes is perhaps best described as a confident reaction. Where The Smile’s debut felt like a nod to Radiohead’s guitar-driven heyday, Wall of Eyes feels more like a blend of The King of Limbs and A Moon Shaped Pool. Moody instrumental vamps punctuated by Yorke’s ever-evocative vocals dominate the album. 

Sure, Jonny’s hypnotic guitar work makes an appearance or two, but the ‘rock out’ moments are few and far between. For his part, Yorke’s seemingly ageless voice is in fine form, impressively showing no signs of wear from a year of live shows. Speaking of which, it’s a curious move for a road-tested band to return with such a subdued, meditative release. While I’d initially hoped for something a bit more energetic, repeated listens reveal an album steeped in satisfying nuance.

Below are my track-by-track thoughts:

1. Wall of Eyes – This simmer-to-an-(almost)-boil album opener sets an ominous tone for what follows. An understated vocal from Yorke floats over a minimal guitar line. There are some sparse percussive elements and even a hint of Jonny tossed in for good measure, but this is essentially a solo vehicle for Yorke.

2. Teleharmonic – Opening with a subdued synth line, “Teleharmonic” slowly morphs into another slow-burn number that pairs a pulsing, tom-heavy rhythm with some incredible vocal harmonies. Between Yorke’s unmistakable falsetto and the imagery-laden lyrics (lots of ‘sea’ references), I can’t help but think of In Rainbows.

3. Read the Room – Somewhere between 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool and The Smile’s debut, Jonny Greenwood added a whole new King Crimson-esque dimension to his guitar playing. “Read the Room” makes use of a slinky, half-time riff for about three and half minutes before shifting gears into a krautrock excursion that doubles for the album’s first upbeat moment.

4. Under Our Pillows – The second longest track on the album, “Under Our Pillows,” is another Jonny-led song and opens with a riff that bears a striking resemblance to “Thin Thing” (off The Smile’s debut). Similar to “Read the Room,” the band rides Jonny’s guitar for a few minutes before shifting gears into an up-tempo groove that eventually careens into a string-filled crescendo.

5. Friend of a Friend – One of the pre-release singles, “Friend of a Friend” drew instant praise, likely because it’s the most immediate moment on the album. The dry production, piano-driven mix, and Yorke’s ‘out-in-front’ vocals stand in stark contrast to the rest of the album. What’s most impressive, however, is how the trio managed to make such an unconventional arrangement so instantly memorable.

6. I Quit – “I Quit,” with its ominous Yorke vocal and brooding, circular vamp, is another great example of The Smile’s most effective tool: restraint. That said, on a vibe-heavy album full of moody, six-minute songs, this is the one track that feels a bit redundant.

7. Bending Hectic – At just over eight minutes, “Bending Hectic” is a sprawling, multi-part epic that provides the album a tangible climax. After a few minutes of stage-setting, the song transitions to one of the album’s best choruses. The band returns for a second verse before a string swell erupts into a fuzz-drenched finale that’s easily the most crushing thing the band’s done to date. This is a spectacular track that sets a new high-water mark for The Smile.

8. You Know Me! – It’s always hard to say goodbye, but Yorke and Greenwood have fared well on the ‘album-closer’ front over the years. In the tradition of “Videotape,” “You Know Me!” features some off-kilter percussion and a haunting piano line. Based on the song’s lush, saturated production and Yorke’s beautifully subdued vocals, you’d never know he was singing, “Keep your arms up son!, You don’t scare me” or “And a town that’s underwater, None of this is mine.” The man has always had a way with words.

So there you have it–Wall of Eyes is everything I didn’t even know I wanted from The Smile. It’s also easily the best Radiohead side-project (this side of The Eraser). Yorke, Greenwood, and Skinner could’ve satisfied most of us by simply delivering another batch of songs in the vein of their debut. Instead, the trio redefined the boundaries of their sound, delivering an even more challenging album in a rather concise package. Above all else, Wall of Eyes firmly establishes that The Smile are more than merely a placeholder for the next Radiohead release.