Album Review: The Smile – Wall of Eyes

By Kate Tocke, Contributor

[XL Recording; 2024]

Rating: 8/10

Key Tracks: “Teleharmonic”, “Read The Room”

The Smile often feels the societal pressure to follow the greatness that two of the band members created while they were in their previous band together. However, its newest release, Wall of Eyes, shows us that this group is more than a side hustle.

Band members Thom Yorke (lead vocalist) and Johnny Greenwood (guitar, bass, and keys) are past members of the very well known alternative 90s band Radiohead, and while listening to The Smile’s projects, you can heavily hear that influence.

In every project that Thom Yorke takes part in, you can hear his signature style, but that will not stop him from pushing out new projects. His whiny tone, which some might find rather annoying, make for a great psychedelic yet cinematic listen. Although this group is nowhere near close to being a Radiohead substitute, there is a euphoric feeling you get engulfed in just within the first listen.

This is the band’s second studio album and every track delivers something different, but manages to follow a theme of movie-like sounds. There are songs on this album that reach up to eight minutes. Within the first three tracks of the album, you are taken somewhere otherworldly. The punchy drums and acidic basslines deliver a spacey and psychedelic flavor. Similar to some Radiohead tracks, you can find yourself getting lost in some of their instrumentation.

The first track being the title track, “Wall Of Eyes”, is a nice listen as you start to dive into the album, but one of the more forgettable tracks because there are a few that stick with you after the listen. “Teleharmonic” is one of these tracks. This is the track that sticks out the most because it can appeal to many people of different tastes. If you were to leave this review listening to only one song on this album, I would advise you to choose “Teleharmonic” because it is simply just a good song.

I believe there are some people who would argue that this record is underproduced or there is too much instrumentation, but that is what makes this record such an interesting listen. If I was listening to music that didn’t have jammy tracks and unusual sounds, I would find myself bored. There have been bands in the past such as the Talking Heads or New Order who include crazy synths or unheard of sounds in music, but that is what makes their music so good to listen to.

Some other notable listens would be “Read The Room” and “Under The Pillow” because the drums particularly stick out here, making them pretty memorable. The band’s talent shines when they pair two instruments together and produce a sick rock duo.

The album is truly good upon first listen, but there is room for it to grow. I can anticipate the more I listen to the songs, the more I will start to like them. It is nice to see Yorke continuing to make music in his post-Radiohead era and it is still good.

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