The Smile, formed in 2018, consists of Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner. Yorke and Greenwood, current members of Radiohead, view this project as a way to experiment with music without the pressure of their main band’s cult following. Greenwood stated he wanted to make music “90 percent as good [that] come out twice as often.” The trio played together throughout lockdown and performed at Glastonbury in 2022 before releasing an album, highlighting their divergent approach to creating music compared to Radiohead.
Their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention, was released in 2023, followed by Wall of Eyes in January 2024. Cutouts, their latest addition, is undoubtedly the most enjoyable of the three. Drummer Tom Skinner, formerly of the jazz band Sons of Kemet, is a standout on this album, infusing it with a faster pace and more urgent tone. On “Zero Sum,” Yorke embraces Gen-Z vernacular with the line “That’s another red flag.” This track is arguably the most accessible on the album, with its drum beat and guitar riffs perfectly complementing Yorke’s distinctive vocals.
Despite its upbeat nature, Cutouts remains firmly rooted in the band’s established themes. It explores sociopolitical, environmental, and personal anxieties as expected. The opening track, “Foreign Spies,” features Yorke lamenting, “And they’re grabbing/ Kitchen knives/ Every time our/ Backs are turned,” emphasising a culture of paranoia and mistrust. This song, however, seems somewhat disconnected from the rest of the album, contrasting with the more cohesive Wall of Eyes. In “Tiptoe,” Yorke sings, “We are just baggage with no label/ You will find us in the rubble”—a sentiment more typical of a Radiohead album, where the subject is often defined by otherness. In the context of this particular The Smile album, this song feels slightly out of place. “The Slip,” on the other hand, successfully merges the band’s typical themes with the album’s funkier tone. While addressing “the hole in the ozone,” Greenwood’s guitar riffs and Skinner’s upbeat rhythm shine through.
Although perhaps not quite reaching the heights of Wall of Eyes released earlier this year, this album truly shines when it allows each member to showcase their distinct musical talents.
“Thom Yorke (The Smile), Roundhouse, London” by Drew de F Fawkes is licensed under CC BY 2.0.