The Smile plays the most beautiful and exciting music by Thom Yorke that was not made by Radiohead ★★★★☆

The Smile is the least remarkable name that Thom Yorke gave his new trio a year ago. Because laughing is the last thing on your mind when you once again dig through the beautiful yet serious work of Yorke’s band Radiohead.

But you shoot when listening to the now released album A Light for Attracting Attention at least once, when Yorke at the beginning of Open the Floodgates the old adage ‘don’t bore us, get to the chorus’ murmurs. Choruses, songs, catchy songs: it hasn’t been found in Yorke’s musical idiom for about twenty years now (53).

The Smile, after Atoms for Peace (including bassist Flea), a new side project of the Radiohead frontman, consists of Yorke, Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and jazz drummer Tom Skinner (Sons of Kemet). What became apparent during their streaming performances earlier this year is underlined on this album: The Smile sounds more like Radiohead than any other music to which Yorke has attached his name.

You hear in punky You Will Never Work in Television Again even louder guitars than ever. On the other hand, there are wonderful pieces that are almost enchanting with the help of an orchestra. Yorke and Greenwood have been playing together for years, but because of the new drummer they seem in the beautiful The Opposition challenged to new musical patterns. The miniatures Greenwood plays sparkle, while Yorke enjoys the acoustic guitar-carried and beautifully sung Free in the Knowledge makes a song that can be hummed along for the first time in years.

Beautiful, like most of this album, which contains perhaps the most beautiful and exciting non-Radiohead music from Yorke. Radiohead seems to be the sender, but The Smile is the name.