The Smile continues to keep its creativity flowing. With Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner at the helm, their prolific approach mirrors that of their tenure in Radiohead during the late 90s when they produced Kid A and Amnesiac back-to-back following the immense success of OK Computer. Despite the option of dropping all the songs in a double album, the trio chose separate releases in 2000 and 2001.
Fast forward almost 25 years, and Yorke and Greenwood show no signs of slowing their efforts. They also recorded Cutouts in the same sessions in Oxford and Abbey Road as they did for the Wall of Eyes. Equally notable is that both albums were under the production of Sam Petts-Davies, who first worked with them during their last Radiohead album, A Moon Shaped Pool, in 2016. Yorke and Stanley Donwood, Yorke’s long-standing visual partner, contributed artwork towards Cutouts, with string arrangements delivered by the London Contemporary Orchestra, showing that they’re sticking to familiar grounds.
The first track from the album, Foreign Spies, which was released earlier, may not live up to the high standards set by their title track on Wall of Eyes or comparable tracks such as Airbag, Everything in its Right Place, or Burn the Witch. This could suggest that The Smile has set an exceedingly high benchmark for themselves.
However, the album Cutouts shows significant improvement as it progresses. The track Zero Sum, which initially went live at the 3Arena in Dublin in the previous March, could potentially be The Smile’s best work to date. Despite the unconvincing start, the closing song, Bodies Laughing, stands as a genuine classic in their repertoire. Yorke’s vocals continue to evolve gracefully and carry a distinct depth. Greenwood and Skinner’s musical craft couldn’t be more perfect.
“Tim Roth confessed that unlike Gary Oldman, who was setting his sights on Hollywood, he himself wasn’t interested in going down that route. Speculation amongst fervent Radiohead fans suggest that the Oxford giants could be returning to the recording studio sooner than expected, following the unexpected drop of a new release. Colin Greenwood, the band’s bassist, fueled the flames of hope, revealing that the five-member group recently held a rehearsal session in London. However, there’s more to the band than just these upcoming possibilities. Given where Radiohead stand today, they boast of a flexible and dynamic approach. Currently, Greenwood has joined Nick Cave’s ongoing European tour as a full-fledged Bad Seed, strumming his bass on stage. On the other hand, his musically gifted younger brother continues to make music with his old colleague, brimming with creativity. The overflow of music from them is pure delight for us all.”