According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Wall of Eyes received "universal acclaim". [29] The Irish Times wrote that it had a "remarkable, sombre majesty" reminiscent of the 2016 Radiohead album A Moon Shaped Pool , and that Yorke and Greenwood had "delivered yet another classic". [35] The Guardian chief music critic, Alexis Petridis, chose it as his album of the week, writing that it was "imaginative and viscerally thrilling, one of the best things Yorke and Greenwood have put their names to in at least a decade". [33]
In Pitchfork, Jazz Monroe named Wall of Eyes the week's "best new music", writing that Yorke and Greenwood sounded more relaxed and had allowed their songwriting to absorb more influences. [37] Consequence picked "Wall of Eyes" as their song of the week, describing it as "dizzyingly danceable and easily enjoyable ... the sound of three boundless musicians with enough ideas to span several lifetimes". [10] In July, BrooklynVegan named Wall of Eyes one of their favourite albums of the year so far, writing: "It's a treat to hear music that doesn't sound so obsessed over from people who just exude talent ... As much as the more moody, ethereal songs sound like Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood at their finest, it's even more thrilling to hear the ways Wall of Eyes push them out of their usual comfort zones." [8]
In Stereogum, Chris DeVille wrote that Wall of Eyes "stands out for the way its songs resemble the outgrowth of a living organism rather than compositions pieced together". He described the Smile as a "fun phase" for Yorke and Greenwood, but expressed hope for a return for Radiohead and said the Smile demonstrated what the other Radiohead members contribute. [9]
Publication/critic | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Consequence | 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 12 | [39] |
DIY | Best Albums of 2024 | 20 | [40] |
The Independent | The best albums of 2024, ranked | 10 | [41] |
Louder Than War | Top 100 Albums of 2024 | 10 | [42] |
Mojo | 75 Best Albums of 2024 | 13 | [43] |
Mondo Sonoro | Best International Albums of 2024 | 16 | [44] |
NME | 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 25 | [45] |
Oor | 20 Best Albums of 2024 | 14 | [46] |
BrooklynVegan | 80 Best Albums of 2024 | 7 | [47] |
All tracks are written by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Wall of Eyes" | 5:05 |
2. | "Teleharmonic" | 5:10 |
3. | "Read the Room" | 5:14 |
4. | "Under Our Pillows" | 6:14 |
5. | "Friend of a Friend" | 4:35 |
6. | "I Quit" | 5:32 |
7. | "Bending Hectic" | 8:03 |
8. | "You Know Me!" | 5:22 |
Total length: | 45:16 |
Credits adapted from album liner notes. [48]
The Smile
Production
| Additional musicians
|
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
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.
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).
Pablo Honey is the debut studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 22 February 1993 in the UK by Parlophone and on 20 April 1993 in the US by Capitol Records. It was produced by Sean Slade, Paul Q. Kolderie and Radiohead's co-manager Chris Hufford.
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 through Capitol Records in the United States on 10 June. 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.
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).
Amok is the only album by the rock band Atoms for Peace, released on February 25, 2013 by XL Recordings. It features the Radiohead singer Thom Yorke, the Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, the drummer Joey Waronker and the percussionist Mauro Refosco. It combines electronic and live instrumentation.
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.
Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film) is the soundtrack for the 2018 horror film Suspiria, composed by the English musician Thom Yorke and produced by Yorke and Sam Petts-Davies. It was released on 26 October 2018 through XL Recordings.
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.
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.
"Bending Hectic" is a song by the English rock band the Smile, from their second studio album, Wall of Eyes (2024). It was released on 20 June 2023, one day before the Smile began the second leg of their debut North American tour.
"Friend of a Friend" is a song by the English rock band the Smile, released on 9 January 2024 by XL Recordings. It was the third single released from the Smile's second album, Wall of Eyes. The music video was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Confidenza is the soundtrack for the 2024 Italian drama film Confidenza, composed by the English musician Thom Yorke and produced by Sam Petts-Davies. It is Yorke's second feature film score. It was released on 26 April 2024 through XL Recordings.
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).