Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner have announced their second album as The Smile, Wall of Eyes. The follow-up to 2022’s A Light For Attracting Attention arrives on January 26 through XL.
The eight-track album will feature this summer’s single “Bending Hectic” and today the trio has shared the opening title track “Wall of Eyes” with a video directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
“Wall of Eyes” is an acoustic-led glider, with Skinner’s light-as-a-feather percussion helping it to coast across five minutes of beautiful paranoia. Despite the airy arrangement, The Smile imbue the song with tension through the London Contemporary Orchestra’s strings, which gradually grow in presence while Yorke quietly unravels his fears. By the finale, where his voice is repeatedly counting to five in the background, it feels like he has totally unspooled in amidst the confusion of the world.
Watch the video for “Wall of Eyes” below or find the song on streamers.
The Smile’s new album Wall of Eyes arrives on January 26 through XL (pre-order/save).
