Former Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke along with Jonny Greenwood, former Radiohead guitarist, and Tom Skinner, former Sons of Kemet drummer, combine into the indie hit The Smile.
After debuting in 2022, the trio has released another album, and with the release of the single “Friend of a Friend,” it’s clear another album is on the way.
To be clearer, on Nov. 13, 2023, the band announced their second album, “Wall of Eyes,” will be released Friday.
In anticipation, The Smile has released three singles: “Friend of a Friend,” “Wall of Eyes” and “Bending Hectic.”
On top of that, they have also released a visualizer for “Friend of a Friend” and, most interestingly, a music video for “Wall of Eyes” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
“Friend of a Friend” is a simple song. Starting with high falsetto vocals, muted bass and a soft chordal piano, the track features a mellow vibe, feeling like the softer side of Father John Misty.
However, when the chorus ends, the vocals become distorted and a sample of someone talking plays in the background. Quickly though does that experimentation fade back into the subtle bliss from the track’s earlier moments.
As the song hits its final moments a string crescendo kicks in, lifting the track to a higher energy. Yet, again, the track forgoes this energy, and after the crescendo, the soft piano and vocals come back, with string pads behind it this time.
“Wall of Eyes” starts on a cutesy strummed guitar line with obfuscated vocals, sounding like the mutterings of a madman.
An ode of subtlety, “Wall of Eyes” takes in more of the aural effects from the first single. Adding in distorted vocals in the background, with electronic synths quietly accenting the vocal lines.
The track, like one would expect from a group of this stature, is highly intelligent. Background parts emerge for a couple seconds to add a bit of flair and texture and then just as quickly fade back into the solitude of the track.
The ending with its avant-garde electric guitar twinkles and quaint groove expertly balances the experimental with the classic, building both a sense of being eternal and being new at the same time.
“Bending Hectic” is the longest of the three singles released, tagging in at just over eight minutes long.
With guitar lines sounding like grown-up Midwest emo and vintage folk-crooner vocals, the track’s intro is wildly cinematic. The first minutes of the song feel like drinking coffee after breaking up with someone, a touch of a new yet melancholy simplicity.
When the song starts to roar about six minutes in, it’s a perfect way to spice the track up. After a 30-second orchestral mush, overdriven guitars and punk drums take over.
Hitting an almost hardcore rage, The Smile ends this run of singles with the screamingly apparent “Bending Hectic,” a track that flows from quiet musings to howling and fuzzy guitars.
The Smile seems to be taking a more subtle, smooth approach to their new record, opting to move away from their rocker roots to go the quieter route.
If these singles are any account, the “Wall of Eyes” album looks like it will be a hit, but a quiet one at that.
“Wall of Eyes” releases physically and to streaming services Friday.
