A Light for Attracting Attention | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 13 May 2022 | |||
Recorded | 2020–2021 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 53:18 | |||
Label | XL | |||
Producer | Nigel Godrich | |||
The Smile chronology | ||||
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Singles from A Light for Attracting Attention | ||||
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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 retail 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, and recorded in London. 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. They performed to an audience for the first time at three shows in London in January 2022, and began an international tour in May. "You Will Never Work in Television Again", "The Smoke", "Skrting on the Surface", "Pana-vision", "Free in the Knowledge" and "Thin Thing" were released as singles.
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. Performances from the tour were released on The Smile (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022) and the EP Europe: Live Recordings 2022. [1]
The Smile comprise 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. [2]
The Smile began working on A Light for Attracting Attention shortly before the first UK COVID-19 lockdowns, [3] with Radiohead's longtime producer, Nigel Godrich. [4] According to Yorke, Greenwood and Skinner "had already tracked about four things before I even knew what was going on". [3] The album was recorded in London at Wack Formula and Air Edel Studios. [5]
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." [3] According to Greenwood, the album was almost complete by September 2021. [6]
Yorke performed a Smile song, "Free in the Knowledge", at the Letters Live event at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in October 2021. [7] In January 2022, the Smile performed to an audience for the first time at three shows at Magazine, London, which were livestreamed. [8] Yorke first performed "Skrting on the Surface" in 2009, [9] and in a different arrangement in 2012 with Radiohead. [10] He first performed "Open the Floodgates" solo in 2009. [10]
A Light for Attracting Attention incorporates elements of post-punk, post-rock, jazz, progressive rock, math rock, Afrobeat and electronica. [11] In the Guardian , Alexis Petridis likened it to Radiohead, with similar "eerie" electronica, piano ballads and rock. [12] Yorke's lyrics express disgust, paranoia and concern for the environment. [12]
The cover art was created by Yorke with the longtime Radiohead collaborator Stanley Donwood. [13] 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. [14] Unlike their previous collaborations, which typically involved digital processing, Yorke and Donwood worked entirely on the canvas, using gouache paint. [14] The pair worked in Yorke's garden shed at his home in Oxford. [15]
The Smile's debut single, "You Will Never Work in Television Again", was released to streaming services on 5 January, 2022. [16] On 27 January, the Smile released "The Smoke", [17] followed by "Skrting on the Surface" on 17 March. [18] "Pana-vision" was released on 3 April alongside a new song from Yorke, "That's How Horses Are"; both were used in the series finale of the television series Peaky Blinders , broadcast that day. [19] "Free in the Knowledge" was released on 20 April, followed by "Thin Thing" on 9 May. [20] 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. [21]
The Smile announced A Light for Attracting Attention on 20 April 2022, alongside the "Free in the Knowledge" single. [22] It was released digitally through XL Recordings on 13 May, with a physical release on 17 June. [22] The Smile began a European tour in May, [23] followed by a North American tour starting in November. [24] They were supported by the saxophonist Robert Stillman, who also joined them for some songs. [25] The tour included performances on The Tonight Show , NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts and KEXP. [26] [27]
In November, the Smile released a special edition of A Light for Attracting Attention 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. [28] On 14 December, the Smile released a digital-only album, The Smile (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022) , with songs from their performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland. [29] It was followed on 10 March 2023 by a limited-edition vinyl EP, Europe: Live Recordings 2022. [1]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.3/10 [30] |
Metacritic | 86/100 [31] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [32] |
Clash | 9/10 [33] |
DIY | [34] |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [35] |
The Guardian | [12] |
The Irish Times | [11] |
NME | [36] |
Paste | 8.3/10 [37] |
Pitchfork | 8.6/10 [38] |
Rolling Stone | [39] |
On Metacritic, A Light for Attracting Attention has a score of 86 out of 100 based on 24 reviews from critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [31] 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". [38] 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". [40] In the Guardian, Alexis Petridis named it album of the week, writing that it "may not be head-spinningly different, but is still exceptional". [12]
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. [41] Uncut named A Light for Attracting Attention the best album of the year. [42] Rough Trade named it the best of the year in their US ranking and the second-best in their UK rating. [43] At the 2023 Libera Awards, it was nominated for Record of the Year. [44]
All lyrics are written by Thom Yorke; all music is composed by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Tom Skinner and Nigel Godrich.
No. | Title | Length |
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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 |
Credits adapted from album liner notes. [5]
The Smile
Production
Artwork
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Weekly charts
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Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. They comprise Thom Yorke ; brothers Jonny Greenwood and Colin Greenwood (bass); Ed O'Brien ; and Philip Selway. They have worked with the producer Nigel Godrich and the cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994. Radiohead's experimental approach is credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock.
Kid A is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 2 October 2000 by Parlophone. It was recorded with their producer, Nigel Godrich, in Paris, Copenhagen, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. Departing from their earlier sound, Radiohead incorporated influences from electronic music, krautrock, jazz and 20th-century classical music, with a wider range of instruments and effects. The singer, Thom Yorke, wrote impersonal and abstract lyrics, cutting up phrases and assembling them at random.
Amnesiac is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 30 May 2001 by EMI. It was recorded with the producer Nigel Godrich in the same sessions as Radiohead's previous album Kid A (2000). Radiohead split the work in two as they felt it was too dense for a double album. As with Kid A, Amnesiac incorporates influences from electronic music, 20th-century classical music, jazz and krautrock. The final track, "Life in a Glasshouse", is a collaboration with the jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton and his band.
The Bends is the second studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 13 March 1995 by Parlophone. It was produced by John Leckie, with extra production by Radiohead, Nigel Godrich and Jim Warren. The Bends combines guitar songs and ballads, with more restrained arrangements and cryptic lyrics than Radiohead's debut album, Pablo Honey (1993).
Hail to the Thief is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released on 9 June 2003 through Parlophone internationally and a day later through Capitol Records in the United States. It was the last album released under Radiohead's record contract with EMI, the parent company of Parlophone and Capitol.
Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood is an English musician. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Radiohead, and has composed numerous film scores. He has been named one of the greatest guitarists by numerous publications, including Rolling Stone.
Thomas Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments, and is noted for his falsetto. Rolling Stone described Yorke as one of the greatest and most influential singers of his generation.
Nigel Timothy Godrich is an English record producer, recording engineer and musician. He has worked with acts including Radiohead, Travis, Beck, Air, Paul McCartney, U2, R.E.M., Pavement, Roger Waters, Arcade Fire and Idles.
The Eraser is the debut solo album by the English musician Thom Yorke, released on 10 July 2006 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Nigel Godrich, the longtime producer for Yorke's band Radiohead.
In Rainbows is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 10 October 2007 as a pay-what-you-want download, followed by a retail release internationally through XL Recordings on 3 December 2007 and in North America through TBD Records on 1 January 2008. It was Radiohead's first release after their recording contract with EMI ended with their album Hail to the Thief (2003).
The King of Limbs is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 18 February 2011 as a download, followed by a physical release on 28 March through XL Recordings internationally and TBD Records in North America.
A Moon Shaped Pool is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released digitally on 8 May 2016, with a retail release on 17 June 2016 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Radiohead's longtime collaborator Nigel Godrich.
Tom Skinner is an English drummer, percussionist and record producer. He co-founded the jazz band Sons of Kemet and the rock band the Smile. He has released two albums under the name Hello Skinny. His first album under his own name, Voices of Bishara, was released in November 2022.
The Smile are an English rock band comprising Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner (drums). Critics likened them to Yorke and Greenwood's band Radiohead, with more jazz, krautrock and progressive rock influences and a looser, wilder sound.
Kid A Mnesia is a reissue compiling the albums Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001) by the English rock band Radiohead. It also includes a bonus disc, Kid Amnesiae, comprising previously unreleased material. It was released on 5 November 2021 on XL Recordings.
"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.
"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.
"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.
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 Oxfordshire and Abbey Road Studios, London, with the producer Sam Petts-Davies.
Cutouts is the third studio album by the English rock band the Smile, released on 4 October 2024 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Sam Petts-Davies and recorded in Oxfordshire and Abbey Road Studios, London, in the same sessions as the previous Smile album, Wall of Eyes (2024).
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