Pitchfork likened them to Radiohead's 'vintage rock sensibilities', with a 'slight bounce to Skinner's drums' and 'unfamiliar aggression from Greenwood in the bassline'. Style Ĭonsequence wrote that the Smile incorporate elements of post-punk, proto-punk and math rock. The tour included performances of the Light for Attracting Attention outtake 'Just Eyes and Mouth', Yorke's 2009 single ' Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses', and newly written material. On 16 May, the Smile began a European tour, with a North American tour to follow in November. It was followed by ' The Smoke' on 27 January, ' Skrting on the Surface' on 17 March, ' Pana-vision' on 3 April, and 'Thin Thing' on 9 May.

The first single, ' You Will Never Work in Television Again', was released on streaming platforms on 5 January 2022. It reached number five on the UK Albums Chart. A Light for Attracting Attention received acclaim the Pitchfork critic Ryan Dombal wrote that it was 'instantly, unmistakably the best album yet by a Radiohead side project'. The Smile also released the song 'Free in the Knowledge', with a music video directed by Leo Leigh. It was released digitally through XL Recordings on, with a physical release set for 17 June. On 20 April 2022, the Smile announced their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention. Main article: A Light for Attracting Attention In the Guardian, Kitty Empire gave it four out of five, writing that 'the Smile are most musically convincing when they stretch farther away from Radiohead', while chief critic Alexis Petridis gave it three, saying it was 'intriguing rather than dazzling, intermittently spellbinding, filled with fascinating ideas that don't always coalesce'. In NME, James Balmont gave the Smile's London show four out five, describing it as 'meticulous, captivating stuff'. The shows also included performances of 'Open the Floodgates', which Yorke first performed in 2010, and a cover of the 1979 Joe Jackson single ' It's Different for Girls'. The band played in the round, and debuted several tracks, including 'Speech Bubbles', 'A Hairdryer', 'Waving a White Flag' and 'The Same'. On January 29 and 30, the Smile performed to an audience for the first time at three shows at Magazine, London, which were livestreamed. Yorke performed a Smile song, 'Free in the Knowledge', at the Letters Live event at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in October. DIY named the album one of their most anticipated of the year, speculating that it would return to 'the scrappy, angsty music' of Radiohead's early work. In September, Greenwood said the group were still deciding what to include on the album and that it was 'just about finished'. He described it as 'an interesting juxtaposition of things, but it does make sense'. In July 2021, Godrich said that the Smile had recorded an album. The band performed eight songs, with Yorke and Greenwood on guitar, bass, Moog synthesiser and Rhodes piano. The performance was recorded in secret earlier that week and announced on the day of the stream. The Smile made their debut in a surprise performance for the concert video Live at Worthy Farm, produced by Glastonbury Festival and streamed on May 22, 2021. 21 - Los Angeles, Calif.The Smile performing in the round at Magazine, London, in January 2022 08 - Dallas, Texas The Factory in Deep Ellumĭec. I’ve not met anyone who claims they don’t think about that stuff.” The Smile 2022 North American Tour Dates I remember bands I like who brought out albums I thought were disappointing.

'I’ve never understood the idea of music for its own sake. I’m looking forward to that, as what the outside world makes of you is more than half the reason for doing it,' the rocker continued.

That’s the test, when people finally hear it. 'But it feels like we now have to start engaging with the outside world, having worked on this stuff alone. It’s been very stop-start, but it’s felt a happy way to make music,' the guitarist said.Īt the time, the supergroup hadn't finished their debut album yet, and it was unclear whether or not they planned to tour in support of it. We didn’t have much time, but we just wanted to finish some songs together. 'The Smile came about from just wanting to work on music with Thom in lockdown. Greenwood described how The Smile came to fruition in an interview with NME in September, which was while the band was still in its infancy. Tickets go on sale June 17 and can be purchased through The Smile's website.

The smile band