The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention ALBUM REVIEW
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 พ.ค. 2022
- Listen: thesmile.bandcamp.com/album/a...
Ya like Radiohead?
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FAV TRACKS: THE OPPOSITE, YOU WILL NEVER WORK IN TELEVISION AGAIN, THE SMOKE, SPEECH BUBBLES, FREE IN THE KNOWLEDGE, A HAIRDRYER, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS
LEAST FAV TRACK: SKRTING ON THE SURFACE
THE SMILE - A LIGHT FOR ATTRACTING ATTENTION / 2022 / XL / ART ROCK
7/10
Y'all know this is just my opinion, right? - เพลง
I’ve finally cracked the Fantano code:
1. Find the prettiest track on the album
2. Pretend to not like it to stir the pot
This is so accurate
he totally did this with frogs on the floor on 10,000 gecs @brandonkey181
@@JonathanRankin-uz7svno that song is actually awful he was right on that one
Thom Yorke's voice is still going so damn strong after all these years. Dude was born to sing.
@@mjkarger89 give the man a break, he's been touring for over 20 years now, He's voice still god-like. All of the members actually are master of their craft
@@mjkarger89 respect his opinion, I got it a bit wrong. Anyways, never been the a Radiohead's concert so I wouldn't know for sure, but thom's got my biggest admiration
@@mjkarger89 i saw him live 3 days ago he was pretty good
@@mjkarger89 He doesn't really seem to care too much about his singing when he's hopping around the stage dancing, which I think is fine. Sounds fine live on songs with less immediate energy like Exit Music and Weird Fishes. Sounded phenomenal in the initial live performances of the The Smile material too.
@@mjkarger89 how dare you Thom is perfect
You're too late again Fantano. I have already decided that I love this album and there's nothing you can do to change my mind.
word
Here here!
Jesus man, don't write such things. You know what he's capable of, right? He'll come to your house and steal your plants or something.
yeah but he making money from your comment lol
@@drewrah77 What does this have to do with it💀
Skrting on the surface has a 11/8 time signature, it's the exact opposite of loose and sloppy. The level of precision required to execute this song is insane. What a beautiful track unique track.
Ikr L take from fantano
Totally agree. Most beautiful and immersive sound experience from Tom and John in these last years. It's impressive how they can still innovate, create and revolutionize in songs in a way so pecculiar and singular.
If Radiohead is so good, why haven't they made Radiohead 2 yet?
This IS Radiohead 2
You should check out the band The Smile 😃
@@xwexarexbulletsx 😔
they have stoopid, it's called The Smile
they made it. It's called Coldplay.
Imagine calling Greenwood's guitar work "sloppy"
He has an air of omniscience which some could find comforting but I agree with Alfred Brendel that criticism should be “informative rather than judgemental” … “it pleases me when the critic is well informed but doesn’t give the appearance of being omniscient; when he doesn’t parade his unassailability. I am pleased when I feel the critic respects what others do and respects the difficulty of doing it well, and still has a sense of his own fallibility”
Jonny Greenwood himself calls his guitar playing sloppy in several interviews. Of course, he's a humble guy. I think it's a stylistic thing and sloppy probably isn't the best word.
It's "choppy"
Funnily enough… as beautiful as it sounds, I found the part where he’s looping himself and playing over it in a strange time really confusing. I honestly thought I had two instances of the song playing out of synch by accident when I first heard it (skrting on the surface)
It's weird coz I thought there was "sloppy" guitar but after more listens it seems to disappear
If they called their band “The Smelon” you would have given them a 10/10
smell my melon
KEKW
this getting less than an 8 never even crossed my mind.
this must be how people felt when silk sonic got a 7
Fr
Let’s be real, if it didn’t have the Radiohead connection, people wouldn’t give it more than a 7, the material just isn’t that strong
Must be how people felt when he gave Carrie and Lowell a 7.
Although he did include it in his favourite albums of the 2010's so it must've grown on him
@@samjabbari9537 I’m just used to him shitting on my favorite albums
Swimming
Fine Line
Cherry Bomb
At Ling Last Asap
The man just has baffling opinions…
Every Thom Yorke project is a 10
Dang, he just breezed past Thin Thing, that was one of my favorites.
The studio version is weaker than the live version unfortunately, might be because of that.
@@andremartinez4411 But it's still one of the best songs on the album.
that was my favorite
@@andremartinez4411 the album version is so much worse than the live i almost think it’s like a conspiracy or something.
@@Jamzamurai Thats subjective though and in my opinion you are wrong. I think the album version is amazing, my 2nd favourite, and I'd way rather listen to Thin Thing studio than live
You're really Skirting on the Surface with this one Anthony. Usually we have The Same opinions on music but this time it's The Opposite. You might have no need for A Hairdryer but that doesn't mean you have to Open the Floodgates when you start talking about this album. If you don't rethink your score I'll have you Waving a White Flag pretty soon. And don't get me started on your Thin Thing.
im feeling a strong 9 to a light 10 on this comment
@@felixtremblay6639 overrated comment, deserves no more than 25 to 30 likes
Hairdryer created specially for Melon
Lool
LOL
Fantano’s everlasting disdain of skirting on the surface continues to baffle
Seriously wth? The 11/8 time signature makes it feel like the beat is sliding, like a water strider back and forth. It's gorgeous.
I don't get it, I I fucking love to skrrt on the surface.
It’s my favorite song on the album. I really don’t get it
I don’t get it either :/
Favourite on the record for me, it’s literally what i wanted to hear
I call this one the "Radiohead itch scratcher" cause it has all of the Radiohead-isms I like reminiscent of AMSP and In Rainbows. Not really on par with those projects but a good addition to their overall discography. Also Speech Bubbles best song with those strings
i call it the "moist-maker"
I wonder if you already half half the band, why not just bring in Ed, Phil, and Colin and call it Radiohead?
+1 for Speech Bubbles as the best track on the album, surprised that wasn't a single. Overall it very much feels like AMSP, pt. 2 which makes me wonder what could Radiohead sound like if they decide to release another album
Yeah Speech Bubbles got me completely in my listen
I guess you could say, it scratches our eternal itch, our twentieth-century b*tch
I had to say that.
Buddy smiled for 7 minutes and called that a review
i agree 7/7 is a fair score
Im more confused on how he likes the opposite more than the same honestly
i audibly laughed reading this lol. Great album imo too.
@@jpeglang The Same is a shit track
@@JV-cz6fz what
@@Lo-opss it’s mid I said it.
Fantano still doesn’t understand Jonny’s guitar part on skrting is a polymeter and thinks it’s sloppy 🤦🏻♂️
It’s 11/8 superimposed over 10/8
🤓
Oh word
This explains it. I’ve been so confused to hear him say the guitar playing is sloppy. Guitar wise the the polymeter part is one of the most brilliant on the album
@@ChewyRibbit get out of here with that shit
A reminder of the lack of his musician skills
Like most Radiohead, the music takes time. The next thing you know 'The Opposite' is your favourite song. Just kind of like how 'Punchup at a Wedding' or 'All I Need' creeps up on you. One of the best attributes of their music.
Well said
The closing track had me immediately
"Just kind of like how 'Punchup at a Wedding' or 'All I Need' CREEPS up on you." That was intentional wasnt it
I can vouch for ‘all I need’
Exactly.
You gave Kendrick's new album an 8, but you gave Radiohead 2: The sequel a 7? What crack u smoking Melon?
Loved this album, probably the best of all the Radiohead side-projects
WOAH show some respect to the eraser pal
Anima >>>
Also Philip’s albums are severely underrated imo
better than most the main projects too.
OBJECTION! have you listened to Anima?
Amok
Once again I must disagree with the statement that the guitar playing on Skirting is "sloppy". That implies laziness or a dodgy performance. I can assure you neither Thom, nor Johnny would dare commit poor performance to tape. You might not like how it is played, and the timing may sound off, or like it's dragging but its very much intentional.
“This gazpacho soup is too cold” - also the reviewer
Waving a White Flag is so weirdly overlooked. Even in this review, Fantano completely disregarded it and I just can't understand why. That song has some of the most interesting chord progressions and arrangements on the entire album. Yorke's vocals are just so haunting and mysterious. It immediately grabbed me as one of the best songs on here and it has only gotten better with every listen. Would be a top tier Radiohead track imo.
Came here to post this. On my initial listen it was my absolute favorite track. It feels almost Genesis like, very proggy and medieval in a way. It feels like the song is guiding you through a labrynth. This album is genuinely better, to me, than most of Radiohead's output. Incredibly bold and angular.
amazing fucking song, fantano asleep smh
Bro for real, when he sings "couldnt wave a white flaaaag" is my favorite moment on the album
Yes i agree, the progression also sticks with me. The first time I listened, each chord change was different than How I was expecting it to change
It's not very fleshed out, though. It starts something interesting and then gives up halfway through it, I think
Speech Bubbles is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.
One of the best songs made by Yorke, it is so overlooked, my favorite so far.
Overlooked? It's pretty much everyones favorite, together with Thin thing
I won’t stand for Open the Floodgates slander. The melody and Thom’s vocals are too emotionally moving to just be a throw away.
Best track - along w Thin Thing and Skirting.
Tony, I think we all understand that Jonny Greenwood isn’t making mistakes on his guitar parts in recorded songs. The sidewinder feeling of Skrting on the Surface is what makes it awesome.
No mention of Waving a White Flag? Personally I think that is one of the strongest tracks on the record. Not sure why people aren't as fond - I think it's utterly beautiful and lush in its sounds. Regardless, good review, thank you Tones
No love in the comments for “We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings”? Absolutely spine chilling for me. Did not expect such a banger from these guys
Honestly in my first play through that was probably my favourite of the unreleased tracks. The synth, drums and Thom's vocals all really work together great!
The record version was pretty weak imo
@@MM-vs2et Naturally I disagree. But didn't hear the live version which I'm sure is great in it's own way.
Strong 8 for me, definitely one of my favorites of the year so far, Thin Thing and Skirting On The Surface are amazing and Free In The Knowledge is just...exquisite
Still can't get over his hatred for skirting on the surface, what a beautiful song
This is closest to a Radiohead album we'll get this decade 😭
I mean, Moon Shaped Pool didn't come out THAT long ago. Plus it's not like they haven't individually been busy on other projects since that album came out. I'm sure they'll have something before this very young decade is finished haha
Heard a rumor theyre planning on putting out a new record next year along with a world tour
@@ChipzBitz I definitely think we are getting a radiohead album in the next 1 or 2 years.
Jonny said in an interview he did not too long ago (It's on TH-cam, for got the name) from some festival that they've not started yet, since they're busy with the smile first. I assume it will be in a few years like the others said.
@@ChipzBitz where did you hear that?
"Skrting on the Surface" is not only my favourite track from the album, but my favourite thing Thom has recorded since TKOL' s "Bloom". I'd go as far as to say it's a masterpiece. The harmony of the song is ingenious, the melody is godly, the lyrics are amazing and the drumming... Jesus Christ, the drumming! We're talking about a song whose time signature is 11/8!!! That is fucking INSANE! Anyway, the whole album is wonderful. I'd give it a light to decent 9.
11/8?
I agree with you. It's actually my favorite on the album.
Yeah it's definitely in 11/8 but I completely agree with you
@@randyhayek7337 Sorry! I counted 13, but I guess you're right. I'll correct it.
Yes! I remember when Bloom came out in 2012 I was in college and I listened to that shit NONSTOP and no other song has quite gotten that obsession form me other than skirting on the surface.
"A Hairdryer" is unbelievably good.
Shame on you blue eyed fox
The fact that Thom is still releasing masterpieces 25 years after OK Computer is proof to me that he's the best musician of the last two decades!
how that meat tastin bud?
@@zeno6169i really wish i could use the internet without seeing 9,000 meat riding accusations a day.
The smoke has gotta have one of the catchiest basslines EVER. I can’t remember the last something has hit me like that
But it goes nowhere
Skrting on the Surface is the opposite of sloppy
The amount of precision and skill needed to pull of that song, and they nail it live
Jonny’s guitar part on "skrting on the surface" is a polymeter and that is gorgeus... this is at least a strong 8
does it? most tracks do have heavy polymeter on them but i havent heard it on that track. maybe its on that bridge part.
@@actuallythepie Skrting on the surface's time signature is 11/8.
@@xactxx yeah it does have an odd time signature. i dont hear any polymeter tho.
@@actuallythepie neither do I. Perhaps people mistake the repeated 5/4, 6/4, 5/4, 6/4 beat as a polymeter. I just hear it as a consistent 11/8 throughout.
@@xactxx 🤝
The Same is one of the best opening tracks to a record all year so far
True. My favorite on the album.
Anthony wearing that shirt basically confirms that Thom Yorke is Jesus
Keep the colored flannels I want more t shirts with religious figures
This is Melon’s revenge on Pitchfork for giving Mr. Morale a 7.6.
melon gave it an 8 though that's basically the same score
@@cw4019 Better than a 7.6
@@cw4019 I think the more important difference between the reviews is that Fantano's is much fairer and less negative towards Kendrick.
i mean light 8 vs 7.6 isn't really a big difference
And they gave DAMN. a 9.2 while Melon gave it a 7.
Skrting On The Surface is amazing.
Just a thought: as a new viewer I think having the track number you are currently speaking about displayed somewhere in the frame would be very helpful. Found myself trying to keep track of what track you’re in when it comes to going back to check it out.
This album reminds me of any other Radiohead album. The more you listen to it the better it gets.
7? that's it? I think this thing is a masterpiece but i respect it.
The Smile's debut album is so strong. I can't wait for their next release. They've already written 2 new songs they've been playing live.
This album is what Alex Turner thinks he's doing with The Car.
Eh, I liked it more than Kendrick's drop this year.
I've been loving this record! It's a refreshing taste of Thom and Johnny
Great review, I agreed with almost all of your points. However, there is one MAJOR problem with it...
I saw the score and I am rapidly approaching your location.
I'm smiling thanks to The Smile.
Skryting on the Surface was actually a song Radiohead has been working on since the late 00s at least.
Solid album, more like an 8 for me though.
For me, Free In The Knowledge feels evocative of something from The Bends. The more direct messaging, the acoustic guitar, and the lush instrumentation all remind me of something that could easily fit alongside a song like Fake Plastic Trees.
while there are lots of in Rainbow-isms I feel the Radiohead album I most resembles is Hail to the Thief
This guy really just said Jonny Greenwood’s guitar playing is “sloppy”. 🤦♂️
Watching this video after seeing the band live in DC and have another show coming up in Atlanta. I have to agree that Skrting On The Surface didn’t really resonate upon early listens, but it’s a track that has massively grown on me in follow up listens, especially after seeing them live. The energy that the band is putting out right now is absolutely electric. You get the sense that they are hugely passionate about this project, which is a refreshing feeling from Thom knowing how grating Radiohead tours would get for him from time to time. Jonny has been doing some absolutely wild shit on stage too; simultaneously playing piano and harp, using a violin bow on the guitar, going from piano to guitar mid song… Tom on drums has been fantastic as well. This has been my first time hearing or seeing his playing and he’s definitely impressed me. Seeing Feelingpulledapartbyhorses live has also been a pleasant surprise. I’m interested to hear what Fantano will have to say about the rapidly approaching LP2. About 7 or so new tracks have been played on tour so far and all of them have had great reception so far. Can’t wait for the Atlanta show!
You're honestly the reason I even started listening to Radiohead past "Creep" and now they're probably one of my favorite bands. Me, a guy who usually only listens to weird jazz or punk variants. Definitely gonna give this one a spin, thank you Melon.
Free In The Knowledge was the best single and ended up being my favorite track on the album
Same here. Out of all the singles it hooked me in the most.
This is another one of those classic cases where every listen of the album, i fall in love with it more. Like literally every radiohead album.
I can’t be the only one who’s been obsessed with we don’t know what tomorrow brings since Glastonbury, but then again httt is on my top 3 rh albums ever
Singing "I'm a jeep, I'm a dildo" to the tune of creep for 7 minutes straight doesn't exactly count as a review Anthony.
This album will age well, mark my words. It’s so unique
You going to review the new Marin Craft or Obogjayer albums?
Unpopular opinion: my favorite one is Open The Floodgates. It reminds me to the most melancolic songs from Thom (like Down Chorus) and obviously Radiohead (like Daydreaming). ✌️🇲🇽
Open floodgates is one of the best unreleased . Now released
perfect song. so underrated
I'am fairly sure that Skirting On The Surface and Open The Floodgates had been written in between In Rainbows and TKOL, so thats why these tracks creates the impression like from the past.
Great review, Anthony! I would give it a higher score, but this was a fantastic dissection of the album
Hey Mr Fantano, do you plan on reviewing the new Melody's Echo Chamber album? Kisses of light!
Anthony still doesn't get Skirting on the Surface, shame
I saw The Smile perform and met Thom, Johnny, Tom and Robert at The Factory in Dallas. Super great live honestly.
Skrting on the Surface is probably the best thing Thom and Jonny have recorded since the In Rainbows years and you have completely misunderstood it. Go back and listen to it again and again feeling the melody and listening carefully to the lyrics in relation to the times we're living... and maybe you'll understand it.
I 100% agree with you, absolutely bone chilling melody and lyrics.
skirting on the surface has a weird 11/8 groove. the drumming is actually really tight, takes a few listen to get used to it.
"A pretty essential listen for any Radiohead fan." Good. I'll buy it.
i want a looped crying fantano as a visualizer for the piano version of true love waits
There are two songs on this album that are in 11/8. Only two geniuses like Thom & Johnny could pull that off and make it sound amazing.
I was tapping my leg at the gig trying to work it out!
Which ones?
If the album was called With Teeth you would've gave it a 9 inch nail.
Agree on this one, Hairdryer really stuck out to me with its paralyzing build-up and the conclusion that just makes you want to move, but aside from that nothing stuck out like their earlier work, and was consistently 'pretty good' throughout the record. I'll have to see what they do with it, there's potential with this sound for sure
I love this album. Thin Thing is such a killer song. I got to see them live in Seattle last month and they don’t disappoint.
Great review 🍈! While I do disagree with Skrting on the Surface being the “lowest-point” on the album, I do wish it was better positioned maybe preceding or following Pana-Vision, the song itself though with its soft instrumentation and often underwhelming guitar & drums plays within the meaning behind the track, especially with this track going through so many renditions over the years; it kinda is a revisited song to appeal to those who saw shows as early as AMOK’s formation and the live-appearance of the song itself, while I do absolutely love the studio version, live-version is a tad better in comparison in my opinion: (whether it’d be Worthy Farm Sessions, or before then)
This project has always felt very random to me (the two main Radiohead dudes playing with a different drummer), but I will never complain about new music from Thomas of Yorke and Jon Jon G-Wood
Dude reviewed this album like a mad child asked to clean their room. Why even bother?
Really wish they had taken this to EOB, Phil, and Colin, while keeping Tom Skinner on board. Because this would have been an amazing RH10. Even on its own merits there are only two RH albums I like better (AMSP & IR), and barring any major upsets it will be in my top 5 of the year. It mixes the somber elements of AMSP with the lushness of IR, with a new, almost low key psychedelic approach to composition and playing juxtaposed with the magnificent jazz drumming of Tom Skinner. Almost every song here went in my shuffle bag. Light 9 for me.
On an unrelated note, if you told me in 2015 that the next two Radiohead adjacent albums would be stone cold classics while the next two Kendrick albums would be mixed bags--and that both albums would be released with pretty much the same frequency--I would NEVER have believed you.
Freedom in Knowledge might be one of the favorites of the year. Super great state throughout and beautiful delivery like a classic Radiohead anthem. I love this project, definitely a top 5 possible finisher. Skinner also murders the drumming on this project too.
I feel like the album cover for this has the similar "pool" as A Moon Shaped Pool
subbed as promised! surprised you didn't say much about thin thing. jonny repeatedly attacking the strings to get that pinging sound, the wild climbing guitars, and that ending nose dive! a 7 for the music alone is fair, imo the artwork and videos add a lot to the experience and significance of this album at this time of climate emergency. thanks for reviewing, you're the best!
A worthy follow up to A Moon Shaped Pool! If Radiohead is on permanent hiatus, I hope the Smile keeps going.
One element of review missing here is any reference to the Smile's live performance of this album. It has been consistently brilliant--an absolute delight! It adds some additional dimensions that enhance the subsequent listen of the recorded tracks. The Smile is a triumph.
Everything with Thom has good chances of becoming part of my life.
free in the knowledge is basically a how to disappear completely 2 but optimistic. and they got the guitars on the right ear instead of left
fantano can you review the first metallica side-project by kirk hammet - portal ?
Anyone catch the Man in th Mirror interpolation in Free In The Knowledge?
Singing "I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo" for the entire duration of the video is not a review Anthony.
Finally listened to this album and Fantano is CRAZY. Seriously one of the best albums I've ever heard.
I listened to live versions of Thin Thing so much that I was shocked by how sedate the album cut is. Live, Thom is absolutely theatrical on the lyrics.
I’ve just ordered this on yellow vinyl 👌
The Smile interview when
Melon, you can't take your shirt off in the supermarket and say that you "attract attention"
damn there's a lot of reviews this week
Still waiting for that dance fever and preachers daughter review
I never thought I'd ever hear Melon refer to something as "Floydian".
Thin Thing, Open the Floodgates and Free in the Knowledge are the best past of the album for me. Great album.
Will you review Preachers Daughter by Ethel Cain? I was shocked by how good it was
I'd like to hear your thoughts on the new Gospel album, hope you do a review on that.
I actually really liked Skirting on the surface with all the horns and falsettos flowing nicely. I think the sloppy guitar playing was intentional.
i like what the podcast “indiecast” said about it, that it sounds like 90% of a radiohead project.
Skirtings on the surface has been a song Radiohead would perform prior and after the release of "A Moon Shaped Pool," so there is no coincidence this sounds like a song Thom has been singing for years.
I'll have to check out their Drummers prior band, as though it isn't as true as people believe it, Thom and Johhny are generally considered the most important members within Radiohead.