A Light for Attracting Attention

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A Light for Attracting Attention
Studio album by
the Smile
Released13 May 2022
Recorded2020–2021
Genre
Length53:18
LabelXL
ProducerNigel Godrich
The Smile chronology
A Light for Attracting Attention
(2022) 		The Smile (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022)
(2022)
Singles from A Light for Attracting Attention
  1. "You Will Never Work in Television Again"
    Released: 5 January 2022
  2. "The Smoke"
    Released: 27 January 2022
  3. "Skrting on the Surface"
    Released: 17 March 2022
  4. "Pana-vision"
    Released: 3 April 2022
  5. "Free in the Knowledge"
    Released: 20 April 2022
  6. "Thin Thing"
    Released: 9 May 2022

A Light for Attracting Attention is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Smile. It was released digitally through XL Recordings on 13 May 2022, with a physical release on 17 June.

The Smile comprises the Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with the drummer Tom Skinner. Yorke sang, and he and Greenwood played guitar, bass and keyboards. The album was produced by Radiohead's longtime producer Nigel Godrich. The artwork, inspired by old maps, was created by Yorke with the longtime Radiohead collaborator Stanley Donwood.

The Smile worked during the COVID-19 lockdowns and made their surprise debut in a performance streamed by Glastonbury Festival in May 2021. In early 2022, they released five singles and performed to an audience for the first time at three shows in London in January, which were livestreamed. They began an international tour in May. Six singles were released from the album.

A Light for Attracting Attention received acclaim and reached number five on the UK Albums Chart. It was nominated for Record of the Year at the 2023 Libera Awards. It was followed by a pair of live EPs.

Background and recording[edit]

Main article: The Smile (band)

The Smile comprises the Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with the former Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner. They made their debut in a surprise performance for the concert video Live at Worthy Farm, produced by Glastonbury Festival and streamed on May 22, 2021.[1]

The Smile began working on A Light for Attracting Attention shortly before the first UK COVID-19 lockdowns,[2] with Radiohead's longtime producer, Nigel Godrich.[3] According to Yorke, Greenwood and Skinner "had already tracked about four things before I even knew what was going on".[2]

Yorke wrote the lyrics in his home during the lockdowns. He recorded his vocals to Godrich's studio from his home using streaming software, before his children returned from school each day. According to Yorke, "It got sort of protracted ... It was deeply frustrating, but it's been the same for everybody."[2] According to Greenwood, the album was almost complete by September 2021.[4]

Yorke performed a Smile song, "Free in the Knowledge", at the Letters Live event at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in October 2021.[5] In January 2022, the Smile performed to an audience for the first time at three shows at Magazine, London, which were livestreamed.[6] Yorke first performed "Skrting on the Surface" in 2009,[7] and in a different arrangement in 2012 with Radiohead.[8] He first performed "Open the Floodgates" solo in 2009.[8]

Music and lyrics[edit]

A Light for Attracting Attention incorporates elements of post-punk, post-rock, jazz, progressive rock, math rock, Afrobeat and electronica.[9] In the Guardian, Alexis Petridis likened it to Radiohead, with similar "eerie" electronica, piano ballads and rock.[10] Yorke's lyrics express disgust, paranoia and concern for the environment.[10]

Artwork[edit]

The cover art was created by Yorke with the longtime Radiohead collaborator Stanley Donwood.[11] It was inspired by medieval maps made by an Arab pirate, and early maps of the British Isles depicting the locations of springs and rivers.[12] Unlike their previous collaborations, which typically involved digital processing, Yorke and Donwood worked entirely on the canvas, using gouache paint.[12] The pair worked in Yorke's garden shed at his home in Oxford.[13]

Release and promotion[edit]

The Smile's debut single, "You Will Never Work in Television Again", was released to streaming services on 5 January, 2022.[14] On 27 January, they released "The Smoke",[15] followed by "Skrting on the Surface" on 17 March.[16] "Pana-vision", was released on 3 April alongside a new solo song from Yorke, "That's How Horses Are"; both were used in the series finale of the television series Peaky Blinders, broadcast that day.[17] "Free in the Knowledge" was released on 20 April, followed by "Thin Thing" on 9 May.[18] In March, the Smile released a 7-inch vinyl of "You Will Never Work In Television Again" and "The Smoke" through a lottery in independent record stores.[19]

The Smile announced A Light for Attracting Attention on 20 April 2022, alongside the "Free in the Knowledge" single.[20] It was released digitally through XL Recordings on 13 May, with a physical release on 17 June.[20] The Smile began a European tour in May,[21] followed by a North American tour starting in November.[22] They were supported by the saxophonist Robert Stillman, who also joined them for some songs.[23] The tour included performances on The Tonight Show, NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts and KEXP.[24][25]

In November, the Smile released a special edition of the album through Rough Trade. They also released a limited 10-inch vinyl featuring live tracks and a reading of William Blake's poem "The Smile" by the actor Cillian Murphy, which was used as the introduction for the Smile's live shows.[26] On 14 December, the Smile released a digital-only EP, The Smile (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022), with songs from their performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland.[27] It was followed by a limited-edition vinyl EP, Europe: Live Recordings 2022.[28]

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.3/10[29]
Metacritic86/100[30]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[31]
Clash9/10[32]
DIY[33]
Exclaim!8/10[34]
The Guardian[10]
The Irish Times[9]
NME[35]
Paste8.3/10[36]
Pitchfork8.6/10[37]
Rolling Stone[38]

On Metacritic, A Light for Attracting Attention has a score of 86 out of 100 based on 24 reviews from critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[30] Pitchfork awarded it their "best new music" accolade, with the critic Ryan Dombal writing that it was "instantly, unmistakably the best album yet by a Radiohead side project".[37] In June 2022, Spin named A Light for Attracting Attention the best album of the year so far. The critic Zach Schonfeld wrote that its best moments equalled any of Yorke and Greenwood's work since the 2007 Radiohead album In Rainbows, and that "it almost makes you want to send Radiohead's other three members a sympathy card".[39] In the Guardian, Alexis Petridis named it album of the week, writing that it "may not be head-spinningly different, but is still exceptional".[10]

A Light for Attracting Attention initially reached number 19 on the UK Albums Chart. After its retail release a month later, it reached number five.[40] Uncut named A Light for Attracting Attention the best album of the year.[41] Rough Trade named it the best of the year in their US ranking and the second-best in their UK rating.[42] At the 2023 Libera Awards, it was nominated for Record of the Year.[43]

Track listing[edit]

All lyrics are written by Thom Yorke; all music is composed by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Tom Skinner and Nigel Godrich.

A Light for Attracting Attention track listing
No.TitleLength
1."The Same"4:19
2."The Opposite"3:06
3."You Will Never Work in Television Again"2:48
4."Pana-vision"4:08
5."The Smoke"3:39
6."Speech Bubbles"4:16
7."Thin Thing"4:30
8."Open the Floodgates"4:29
9."Free in the Knowledge"4:12
10."A Hairdryer"5:17
11."Waving a White Flag"3:47
12."We Don't Know What Tomorrow Brings"3:16
13."Skrting on the Surface"5:31
Total length:53:18

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from album liner notes.[44]

Charts[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Savage, Mark (22 May 2021). "The Smile: Radiohead stars to debut new band at Glastonbury live-stream". BBC News. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Bateman, Jason; Arnett, Will; Hayes, Sean (24 March 2022). "Thom Yorke & Jonny Greenwood". SmartLess (Podcast). 5:15 minutes in. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  3. ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (14 August 2021). "Nigel Godrich and Thom Yorke give cryptic update on new project the Smile". NME. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  4. ^ Earls, John (3 September 2021). "Jonny Greenwood on writing the soundtrack for new Princess Diana biopic Spencer". NME. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  5. ^ Strauss, Matthew (20 December 2021). "Watch Thom Yorke play the Smile's "Free in the Knowledge"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  6. ^ Monroe, Jazz (30 January 2022). "The Smile's new songs, debuted in London, sound like Radiohead. (That's a good thing.)". Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  7. ^ Young, Alex (21 July 2014). "Hear 12 potential songs for Radiohead's new album". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  8. ^ a b Hogan, Marc (4 March 2016). "19 unreleased Radiohead songs that could be on their next album". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  9. ^ a b Sweeney, Eammon (12 May 2022). "The Smile: A Light for Attracting Attention – Album of the year contender". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d Petridis, Alexis (12 May 2022). "The Smile: A Light for Attracting Attention review – Radiohead spinoff offers no alarms, some surprises". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  11. ^ Kreps, Daniel (20 April 2022). "Radiohead side project the Smile set release date for debut LP A Light for Attracting Attention". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  12. ^ a b Luke, Ben (9 June 2023). "Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood; Wayne McGregor on Carmen Herrera; Whistler's Mother". The Week in Art (Podcast). The Art Newspaper. Event occurs at 2:36. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  13. ^ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (30 August 2023). "A Thom Yorke painting: yours for a song". Financial Times. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  14. ^ DeVille, Chris (5 January 2022). "The Smile – 'You Will Never Work In Television Again'". Stereogum. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  15. ^ DeVille, Chris (27 January 2022). "The Smile – "The Smoke"". Stereogum. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  16. ^ Brodsky, Rachel (17 March 2022). "The Smile – "Skrting On The Surface"". Stereogum. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  17. ^ Brereton, Greta (4 April 2022). "Listen to The Smile's eerie new single 'Pana-vision'". NME. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  18. ^ Rettig, James (9 May 2022). "The Smile – 'Thin Thing'". Stereogum. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  19. ^ "The Smile Are Holding a Worldwide Vinyl Lottery for a 7-inch of Their Debut Singles | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  20. ^ a b Lavin, Will (20 April 2022). "The Smile announce debut album A Light for Attracting Attention". NME. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  21. ^ Monroe, Jazz (13 June 2022). "The Smile to tour North America". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  22. ^ Richards, Will (18 May 2022). "The Smile debut new song 'Friend Of A Friend' as they kick off European tour". NME. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  23. ^ Pearis, Bill (15 November 2022). "The Smile made their US live debut in Providence (setlist, video)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  24. ^ "The Smile Gave A KEXP Performance Of Songs From Their Debut". UPROXX. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  25. ^ Boilen, Bob (3 January 2023). "The Smile: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  26. ^ "The Smile, Mitski, Jack White, Rina Sawayama, and More Releasing Rough Trade Exclusive Vinyl Records". Pitchfork. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  27. ^ Corcoran, Nina (13 December 2022). "The Smile announce new live album". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  28. ^ Murrary, Robin (30 January 2023). "The Smile announce Europe: Live Recordings 2022 EP". Clash. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  29. ^ "The Smile A Light For Attracting Attention". AnyDecentMusic. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  30. ^ a b "A Light for Attracting Attention". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  31. ^ "A Light for Attracting Attention review by Neil Z. Yeung". allmusic.com. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  32. ^ Hill, Andy (13 May 2022). "The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention". Clash. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  33. ^ Tipple, Ben (12 May 2022). "The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention". DIY. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  34. ^ Hudson, Sarah (10 May 2022). "The Smile's A Light for Attracting Attention Could Easily Pass for Radiohead". Exclaim!. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  35. ^ Trendell, Andrew (12 May 2022). "The Smile – A Light For Attracting Attention: free and easy Radiohead side-project". NME. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  36. ^ Schonfeld, Zach (12 May 2022). "The Smile's A Light for Attracting Attention is a heady, groove-filled debut for Radiohead veterans". Paste. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  37. ^ a b Dombal, Ryan (12 May 2022). "The Smile: A Light for Attracting Attention". Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  38. ^ Grow, Kory (12 May 2022). "The Smile's A Light for Attracting Attention: Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  39. ^ "The 30 Best Albums of 2022 (So Far)". Spin. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  40. ^ "Harry, Drake and Foals: Who got the UK's Number 1 album this week?". Official Charts Company. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  41. ^ "Album of the year". Uncut. January 2023.
  42. ^ "US Vinyl Albums of the Year 2022". Rough Trade Blog. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  43. ^ Aswad, Jem (22 March 2023). "Wet Leg Leads Nominations for A2IM's Indie Libera Awards". Variety. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  44. ^ A Light for Attracting Attention (liner notes). The Smile. London, England: XL Recordings. 2022. FXL1196LP.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  46. ^ "Austriancharts.at – The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  47. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
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  49. ^ "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of May 28, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  50. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  51. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  52. ^ "The Smile: A Light for Attracting Attention" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
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  54. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  55. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
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  57. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-06-27/p/2" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
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  60. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  61. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
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  66. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of July 2, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  67. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2022" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
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