The Smile – the trio of Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke alongside Sons of Kemet’s Tom Skinner – have revealed a second track to follow up “You Will Never Work In Television Again”.
An about-face from the rock onslaught of the previous track, “The Smoke” is all about the bass line that crawls and bounces slickly with a definite CAN influence, perfectly contrasting Yorke’s falsetto. It’s so beautiful that you might not realise the provocation in his words, warning “don’t mess with me” and envisioning his death by self immolation. Those images become even more stark when put into sharp relief against the horns and strings that ooze their way into the song, sweeping the listener off in mindless beauty.
The video for “The Smoke” was created by Bait director Mark Jenkin. Watch it below or find the song on streaming platforms.
There’s no further news about when The Smile’s album will be out, but perhaps they’ll drop some hints at their trio of live-streamed performances this weekend.
