The Smile – A Light For Attracting Attention (2xLP)

Radiohead's Thom Yorke & Jonny Greenwood + Sons Of Kemet's Tom Skinner!

"Not The Smile as in ha-ha-ha, more The Smile as in the guy who lies to you every day"... so speaks Thom Yorke on the inspiration behind the name of the trio consisting of himself, his Radiohead bandmate Jonny Greenwood and drummer Tom Skinner of UK jazz outfit Sons Of Kemet.

The description is borne out by The Smile's acerbic first single "You Will Never Work In Television Again", a 2:48 blast of ragged, raw energy that moved The New York Times to rave: "Over a bruising 5/4 beat and flailing guitars climbing through three chords, Yorke snarl-sings his avenging fury at 'some gangster troll promising the moon' who'd devour 'all those beautiful young hopes and dreams,' and you can almost feel the spittle flying."

Additional singles "The Smoke", "Skrting The Surface" and "Pana-Vision" - which epically closed the series finale of hit show Peaky Blinders - followed with equal critical acclaim; all are collected on The Smile's first album, A Light For Attracting Attention, produced by Nigel Godrich.

The album also features strings by the London Contemporary Orchestra and a full brass section of contemporary UK jazz players including Byron Wallen, Theon and Nathaniel Cross, Chelsea Carmichael, Robert Stillman and Jason Yarde.

The Smile debuted three live shows in early 2022 at Magazine in Greenwich, London, with NME writing: "It's a stunning show - of course, it should be. This is an Academy Award-nominated composer, a Mercury-nominated jazz drummer and... well... Radiohead, and they've brought all their toys to share. All hail The Smile."