English supergroup The Smile released their debut album, A Light For Attracting Attention, on Friday. The trio features members of two stylistically disparate British bands—Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood and Sons of Kemet‘s Tom Skinner.
As one might expect, the band’s sound as portrayed on the new album blends the indie-rock attributes of Radiohead with the jazz characteristics of Sons of Kemet, but surprisingly, the disparate elements complement each other, resulting in a pleasant balance of emotion, atmosphere, and groove. The band holds true to Radiohead’s ethereal palette, with rich layers of echo, psychedelic delay dive-bombs, and droning synth and strings to support Yorke’s falsetto vocals. The bass lines, guitar, and especially Tom Skinner’s understated drumming adds a rhythmic dimension unlike previous Yorke projects, giving the album a unique yet familiar flavor—like a Radiohead album you can’t help but bob your head to.
Produced by Nigel Godrich, who has worked on every Radiohead album since OK Computer and most of Thom Yorke’s solo work, A Light For Attracting Attention features string arrangements courtesy of the London Contemporary Orchestra and a full brass section, including Byron Wallen, Theon and Nathaniel Cross, Chelsea Carmichael, Robert Stillman, and Jason Yarde.
The record includes previously released singles, “Pana-vision”, “Skrting on the Surface”, “The Smoke”, “You Will Never Work in Television Again”, “Free in the Knowledge”, and “Thin Thing”, as well as seven new tracks.
A Light for Attracting Attention is now available for download and streaming. Yellow double vinyl and CDs are available for pre-order and will be released on June 17th. The Smile has tour dates in Europe beginning May 16th in Croatia, with no North American dates planned as of now. For more information, visit the band’s website.
The Smile – A Light For Attracting Attention