A Light for Attracting Attention

Last updated

A Light for Attracting Attention
ALFAA.png
Studio album by
Released13 May 2022
Recorded2020–2021
Genre
Length53:18
Label XL
Producer Nigel 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.

Contents

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

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

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

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

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

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 8.3/10 [29]
Metacritic 86/100 [30]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [31]
Clash 9/10 [32]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [33]
Exclaim! 8/10 [34]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [9]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [35]
Paste 8.3/10 [36]
Pitchfork 8.6/10 [37]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [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

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

Credits adapted from album liner notes. [44]

Charts

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Will Never Work in Television Again</span> 2022 single by the Smile

"You Will Never Work in Television Again" is a song by the English rock band the Smile. It was released on 5 January 2022 as the debut single from their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention. The Smile first performed it in the 2021 Glastonbury livestream Live at Worthy Farm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skrting on the Surface</span> 2022 single by the Smile

"Skrting on the Surface" is a song by the English rock band the Smile. It was released on 17 March 2022 as the third single from the Smile's debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention. It features guitar arpeggios in the time signature 11
8
. The singer, Thom Yorke, and the guitarist, Jonny Greenwood, developed it from an earlier unreleased song by their band Radiohead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Smoke (song)</span> 2022 single by the Smile

"The Smoke" is a song by the English rock band the Smile. It was released on 27 January 2022 as the second single from their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pana-vision</span> 2022 single by the Smile

"Pana-vision" is the fourth single by the English rock band the Smile, released on 3 April 2022. It is included on their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention.

<i>Wall of Eyes</i> 2024 studio album by the Smile

Wall of Eyes is the second studio album by the English rock band the Smile, released on 26 January 2024 through XL Recordings. It was recorded in Oxford and Abbey Road Studios, London, with the producer Sam Petts-Davies.

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