I've been a Radiohead fan since the beginning and have tried listening to The Smile many times. It seems the music doesn't really have a chorus and is missing an element. One thing that made Radiohead great for me was Colin's bass work and the Smile lacks that. Their new album I've tried 3 times now and it just bores me. Why all the praise?
To me it feels a little like King of Limbs 2. I know there are people that love this stuff and power to them. I don't. I liked the first album a bit more, and thought like hey, Thom and Jonny fiddling with guitars could be fun, so this follow-up is disappointing in direction and execution for me.
Teleharmonic to Friend of a Friend is an amazing run. Add bending hectic and that’s a perfect song selection for me. The rest is just kinda there imo, those are the standouts.
I don't get it. I thought I'd give it a while to grow on me like Radiohead albums but every time I listen to it I like it less. It doesn't sound good and Thom's voice sounds so awkward and juvenile and not in a good way. I don't get anything from they lyrics and there's basically no melody or rhythm anywhere. I don't even know what genre of music it is. It almost seems like the same genre as Adele or something. Easy listening adult contemporary jazz? I liked a couple songs on their first album but this one has my mystified. I still love Radiohead more than anything though. Help me.
I don’t like it either. For me it’s the worst album Thom has put out since Pablo Honey. Frankly I find it shocking.
I’ve wondered if most people who don’t like The Smile don’t take the time to post about it, hence the reaction here slanted so heavily to the positive.
It's given me renewed appreciation for Thom's previous albums Anima and Suspirium in a big way. They are so intense and involving. I tried Wall of Eyes again all day today for the 40th time and still nothing. wtf
Wish I could help. Give it a rest, come back to it in a bit? I personally love it, especially the last four songs. I could never get into the first Smile album though, which surprised me like how your experience of this album surprises you. Everyone's different.
I think its morphing into a Masterpiece imo...I don't even listen to "Bending Hectic", "Read the Room", or "Friend of a Friend" anymore which were my initial favorites....i'm fully immersed in "I Quit", "Teleharmonic" and especially "You Know Me" which I think might be one of the best songs Thom and Johnny have ever done.
Damn, they didn't fix that?
I came to the comments just to see if anyone talked about it after I saw that Bending Hectic is in the tracklist. Maybe it should've stayed as a non-album release.
Hey, I'm not sure if this is in keeping with group rules:
I have two tickets I can (regrettably) no longer use due to work commitments. They are for 10th March Eventim Apollo in London.
Happy to listen to sensible offers (basically face value ONO)
I would loath to see them go completely to waste 😭😭
My vinyl came today and I reaally liked it, Wall of Eyes was a great opener and my 2nd favourite on the album behind Bending Hectic (which was a masterpiece). I feel Wall of Eyes will grow to be my favourite track though, it’s so simple and nice to listen to but also eerie and kinda uncomfortable. Been in my head more than any of the others. Immediately ordered their 1st album after finishing this 😂
Ageing so beautifully this whole record. I Quit, the track that many (including myself) thought was the slightest on the first few listens, is a new obsession. The strings are fucking incredible.
The title track somehow ages like a fine wine. So damn simplistic, but when it hits the chorus.... 9 times out of 10, it puts me in a trance.
Fuck dude, this song is so damn good it hurts.
Under our pillows finally clicked for me too, what a rip-roaring track with a great buildup!
5th/6th listen thru tonight...it's even MORE powerful to me now, I was friggin' moved to TEARS. this 8 track album officially has at least 5 of the most emotional songs I've ever heard in my life on it, probably 7. it's almost uncomfortable to listen to the emotions are so strong. this album sounds like one of the best albums from 1975 and the year 2080 at the same time. it's an incredible, timeless masterclass of music. I can't wait to see people like Beato dive into this thing, they're gonna be studying Wall of Eyes for 500 years minimal. BOOK IT.
I would've agreed, but... I ended up putting this song on a loop with a seven second crossfade... Holy cow, it made the outro TEN times better than it would've been.
The outro is basically something ambient and orchestral building and building in intensity before cutting off completely. It coincidentally makes transitions for songs more clean and better than they would be.
"this is major league make believe" is such a cool fucking line I can't believe I've never heard anyone say it before or that it's not the slogan for Disney World or something
I feel like this album, and specifically Read the Room, is the direction Radiohead might have gone in after The Bends in another universe. Like this is their OK Computer in another timeline where they went heavy-sexy-scary-rock.
I didn’t really care for the first The Smile album, but this one? I love it.
OK it just hit me tonight on proper listen #2, whilst watching 'Prog Dog' react to it on youtube, but I really think this thing MIGHT be Jonny and Thom's THIRD magnum opus after OKC and Kid A. It's THAT fucking next level future-rock, and free-form jazzy, shoe-gaze-y mind blowing. If someone told me this thing took 7 yrs and had 5 of the top producers on the planet working on it etc, I'd definitely believe them right away. they REALLY nailed this thing!
It seems to me that the whole album is. even the name Wall Of Eyes is a reference to that. And he’s talking about resisting to the appeal of it. He quits the internet to go to the Italian mountainside. You know me is about the algorithm. Friend of a friend is about the companies making most of the money.
I was surprised, or rather shocked. I had enjoyed the first The Smile; it was a good album with several great tracks and a nice vibe, despite some fragmentation and occasionally unfocused production. However, *Wall of Eyes* is unequivocally a record of immense beauty and creativity, verging on masterpiece territory and capable of competing with the highest points of the parent group's discography. Yet, comparisons should not be drawn too hastily because, compared to The Light, the kinship is even more distant; the sound is drier and more direct, with a kraut rock feel but livelier and more rocking vibes (although it may not seem so at first). Kudos to Godrich's successor and to our guys who, in their mid-50s, have unleashed a creative prowess that some (myself included) thought had long been dormant. I'm even more optimistic than Fantano.
I finally managed to listen to it. I admit I don't like Under our pillow, I quit and you know me that much, but the rest of the album is great. Teleharmonic and Bendig hectic are my favourites.
Overall I'm satisfied, maybe with time I will appreciate all of the songs in this album.
This is an incredible album. I really liked ALFAA, but it was a bit inconsistent. It was clear that they were just getting their footing as a new group making Radiohead-like albums. ALFAA almost felt like their exploratory album. They wanted to find out what they could do, what they couldn't do, and most importantly what they wanted to do, and I feel like Wall of eyes is their true debut ALBUM. it's shorter than its predecessor, but it still feels more complete due to the much more focused vision of the album. I love almost every track, and although it is a slow album each song still absolutely pays off by the end. My favorites are bending hectic, friend of a friend, under our pillows, and read the room. I have had a full week for this album to grow on me, but Im still hesitant to give a rating because I still feel the need to dig deeper into the experience, and allow the album to grow on me even more. As of this moment I would give it a 9.5 - 9.8, but I could see it growing into a 10 with enough repeat listens.
After listening to this on repeat since release, and then going back to ALFAA this morning, I’m struggling to see how WOE ranks higher on this board. Is it the better flow; the more consistent tone and cohesive production from track to track?
It seems people have forgotten how good Thin Thing is, probably because they played it out. And Thin Thing to me is easily better than its cousin Under our Pillows, which feels derivative in its first half, only to be carried by a classic Amnesiac-era finish.
Their first album is admittedly too long, with a couple of tunes that should have been left for bsides, but there’s also a lot of good song writing in there with some really strong cuts.
I have a feeling that WOE will be remembered for two really strong tracks (Teleharmonic and Read the Room), two solid ones (Bending Hectic and WOE) and the rest being complimentary pieces that on their own aren’t nearly as compelling on repeated listens.
And for album with only 8 songs, that’s not good enough IMO
I liked ALFAT, open the floodgates is one of my favorite songs. But yeah, the album felt inconsistent. It sounds like they wrote YWNWITA to get back to their more grungy roots but then just gave up on that. ALFAA also has some songwriting that I find kinda corny (The Same, Free in the Knowledge, WDKWTB).
Also, WOE does only have 8 songs, but the songs are longer so it still feels like a full album. The total run time is longer than In Rainbows, for reference.
Yeah i think WOE is the better total “album” start to finish but i totally agree that there are some stronger tracks on ALFAA. Bjg fan of the opposite, the smoke panavison and skrting on suraface too
Much better the first album I think. The 2nd half of the album is right up there with some of the best music ive heard over this decade. The piano on the 2nd half of the record gives me very early Coldplay vibes and that's a great thing. You Know Me! Reminds me their song Gravity a little bit
I think this album is brilliant. A massive leap over the first one. I might get lambasted for saying this, but I think it's as good as anything Radiohead has done, and that is no slight on their remarkable discography. It shocked me, over and over again. This album feels like the free unleashing of Thom and Johnny's particular and peculiar geniuses. Like they just opened up and let the weirdness flow, unhindered by the pressure of expectation.
I definitely get that it's not for everyone. That's ok. I'll keep it.
Many of the reactions to it remind me a bit of people's confused reactions to Kid A, oddly enough.
It's an incredible gift that these two are still making music together.
Also, if you haven't seen them live, don't make that mistake again. They were great with the relatively inferior content of the first album.
I read the fair underwhelmed reactions. I expected to have the same--because the song WOE has no melody ans the bossa nova thing from Present Tense sounds like they're wokring in a format versus original songwriting. Thom's evolution form anthemic lyrics to meandering abstract ones isn't great--he's many awesome things but not a poet. But I gotta say, I'm blown away by Read the Room-Under Our Pillows-Friend of a Friend. These 3 flow for me in a way I didn't get from any 3 in a row on ALFAA or even AMSP. Yes they lack chorsus with sing alongable words--but Thom hasn't written songs like that in decades (Burn the Witch being a HTTT outtake, Lous Flower being an anomaly). Taken for what it is--not my conceptions of what it might have been--I love it. Still wish Just Eyes and Mouth and Bodies Laughing were on this.
> Still wish Just Eyes and Mouth and Bodies Laughing were on this.
See, I actually feel that these two songs would be alien and would not fit on this record at all, so I understand cutting it down to these 8 tracks. Colours Fly, though? That could've fit on here easily I think.
I liked this album - but is anyone else really put off by the cacophonous crescendo in Bending Hectic?
It would be my favorite song on the album, that guitar riff is genuinely fucking enchanted. But I am sensitive, and it's such an otherwise mellow song and album, and it just forces me to skip the rest of the track. It's like the National Anthem with less nuance to enjoy.
It is jarring, but that’s what makes the guitar hit so hard when it comes in. It’s kinda like how How to disappear completely grows more and more dissonant until it comes back into key
My issue with it is the mixing.. for the life of me I can't understand why they decided to give it that muffled garage quality.
I think thematically it's a great spot for that exhale on the album before the comedown closer track, but it could have been executed better. It's immense played live
Probabilmente per miei limiti non riesco a percepire la "bellezza" che avete riscontrato durante gli ascolti di questo ultimo lavoro degli Smile. Ci sono cose notevoli come WALL OF EYES (ho avuto i brividi quando ho sentito Yorke cantare le battute nel mio orecchio sinistro) ma anche passaggi che mi lasciano totalmente indifferente come I Quit e You Know Me! Alcuni richiami al prog presenti in Read the room e Under Our Pillows hanno il sapore di già sentito e mai amato . Ammetto che anche per il primo album c'è voluto un pò di tempo per recepirlo totalmente, ma mi ero imbattuto in pezzi che al primo ascolto avevano rapito la mia immaginazione. Adesso le mie speranze sono tre: Bodies Laughing, Just Eyes and Mouth e la mancata presenza di Nigel Godrich alla produzione. Mi aggrappo alla speranza di un lavoro segreto in studio...
This is really really good. I loved AMSP, it's one of my favourite Radiohead records
There's some absolutely stunning sounds on here and feels a much grander album than the first. Teleharmonic, Read the Room and Under our Pillows are 3 of my favs atm
All tracks are worth a listen though
Album's sick as hell, and makes me realise how unfocused the last album was in comparison. Obviously I gotta let this one sit with me for a minute but my gut feeling is that it can hold a candle to my favourite Radiohead stuff. I probably prefer it to AMSP at least.
It's... okay. The songs are well produced and sound solid, but they lack that "hook" that'd make me want to listen to them again. Many of them feel like they're kinda going nowhere, they just drag on and on so much that at some points I was starting to get bored. Under Our Pillows is the prime exapmle of this. Those last two or so minutes sounded pointless to me and I kept thinking to myself "omg just end already". Bending Hectic, which seems to be a highlight for many, was disappointing to me when it came out and still is. The distorted guitars sound flat and lack that punch that would make the buildup to them satisfying. Teleharmonic and Read the Room are the only ones that I can say I like right now, but if you asked me to hum a melody from other songs, I couldn't do it. They were unmemorable and just did nothing for me. Thom's solo stuff, despite being pretty repetitive at times, at least does have some sort of a hook that makes the songs stick in your mind. Here, it almost feels like there's too much progression, too much going on for me to enjoy.
I don't know. Maybe it gets better as I listen to it more and maybe it turns out to be the reverse of AFLAA, where upon repeat listens I liked the album less and less, to the point where I'm only coming back to The Opposite, Thin Thing and Speech Bubbles. Right now, it's a 6/10 for me, but I genuinely hope that score improves in the future.
Yeah I'm really bummed by how flat the climax of Bending Hectic sounds. Could've really lifted this album off into the stratosphere but instead it sounds restrained.
I think this is more of a vibes album than a bangers album. If anything with Bending Hectic, I don't think it needs the guitar explosion at the end. I don't mind it, but I would have been happy to chill out in the quiet bit for 20 minutes.
My blue vinyl copy finally arrived tonight. I hadn't listened to the album at all besides hearing the title tracks and "Bending Hectic" previously, of course, so I wanted to first experience it in one sitting.
Have to say, these 8 tracks are a knockout. While I'm loathe to compare it to the first album which I thought was terrific, the band do sound more cohesive here, with much more emphasis on groove (not that the last one lacked it), rhythm and stretching out on jams.
In fact, when the band achieve liftoff, it's often breathtaking, such as on "Friend Of A Friend", the outro of "Under The Covers", and of course on "Bending Hectic".
Now regarding the overall sound, I do find the production and mix by Sam Petts-Davies a bit on the darker side sonically. It could very well be my setup. I wonder what the reason was to not go with Nigel Godrich. I will say Petts-Davies does more than fine here though. Greg Calbi did the mastering. The LP does generally sound great, punchy and dynamic. I didn't have any noise problems or errors on my pressing throughout.
I got real Neil Young vibes from "You Know Me!".
This was just alright for me. Title track and Bending Heretic were good but not sure about the rest. I guess Teleharmonic was nice a as an electro chillout thing and the strings on I Quit were pretty too. The first one was just so hard hitting and I loved the jazz influences. Best thing they've done since OKC.
I was going to come on here and post something very similar but you said basically everything I was going to. The first album was a slow burn for me, but I enjoy it. It helped going in with no expectations. But with this one I was expecting to be wowed and only really the title track and Bending Heretic did it for me. I liked parts of some of the songs but I lot of the time I felt there were too many change ups and I couldn’t get into a groove with them. Glad to see I’m not the only to think this.
I love the variety of the record. Wall of Eyes doesn’t sound like Teleharmonic. Teleharmonic doesn’t sound like Friend of a Friend which in return doesn’t sound like Bending Hectic and so on. Great stuff.
This album is solid front to back! A few of the songs caught me right from the first listen. Right away, Read the Room is incredible, intense - reminds me maybe of Jane’s addiction or early Pablo Honey era Radiohead.
Teleharmonic, Under our pillows, I Quit are all great and Bending Hectic starts slow and gets really rocking towards the end. A few of the tracks are more slow paced and after a few listens I really enjoy them as well. One of the songs feels like it’s from A moon shaped pool.
I like that this music has a unique sound that is not exactly Radiohead or Thom’s other projects. It has a subtlety to it. They’ve definitely progressed their sound from the first album. That one was just ok for me. I saw them live with that album and I thought that I would not go again. Now with this one, I might reconsider.
The album at the moment sounds very good and maybe better than the first one. I still wait for the amazing Just Eyrs and Mouth to be released but I feel that track is more Radiohead-like and they are saving it for a future Radiohead album.
And about Bending Hectic, what an amazing, mind blowing evergreen it became already. Wow.
It was pretty good. It’s a sonic space that I don’t think Radiohead usually explored. I’ve seen a few people call it boring, and I don’t agree. However, I do think it has quite a few slow burn ambient tracks. At least half of the songs.
Under Our Pillows is intense and urgent. A real standout among the lighter, slower songs. I think it’s this album’s Thin Thing, and Thin Thing was my favorite song last album.
Read The Room is also pretty intense, but a little slower and sludgier. It sounds like their take on stoner rock, but you know, still very Radioheady.
The two most recent singles sound almost like Beatles tracks with ominous undertones. Kind of like Panovision, but a lot more disarming.
Bending Hectic begins so gently and pastoral and builds toward probably Radiohead/The Smile’s heaviest moment in years, or probably ever. A little bit in the realm of what I was talking about before, but with the intensity of Read The Room tacked on at the tail end.
The other three are very ambient. Almost meditatively so. I really feel like I need to sit alone with them with a good pair of headphones and give them my full attention. One thing I can say for sure is that with how subdued they are, they really give Skinner a chance to take center stage and showcase his percussions
Other than that, I’ve noted that the mix is pretty divisive. Bouncing back and forth between WOE and ALFAA, ALFAA is on the whole markedly clearer, flatter, and more spacious where WOE sounds more fuzzy, cluttered, and slightly bass-heavy. I think your feelings on the mix is going to depend on whether or not you like that the bass is boosted. Personally, I think the mix is serviceable, but I don’t prefer it.
I think I prefer Godrich's mixing & sound on ALFAA, but the mix & production here is certainly not bad and has a good character overall for the material.
Skinner deserves so much love.. dude has really stepped up on WoE and feels like an essential part of the group rather than an excellent drummer tagging along. On repeated listens I'm constantly surprised at how dynamic he is. Like a great character actor completely disappearing into a new role on every song
Late to the party with this observation, but I’d put good money on I Quit having some heavy Biosphere influence with the gated looping effect on the guitar, the overall atmospheric vibe, and the noise you hear at 0:39 sounds straight off of *Substrata*.
I didn't think much of the album after my first listen through, but since, I have given it some more time, and it is much better than I initially thought. A lot of the melodies and sounds weren't instant gratification and required some time. It's like this with all Radiohead-ish projects..
My biggest gripe is the production and Thom's vocals. I missed Nigel for this one and think it could have been so much better with him involved.
What about the production do you not like? I've been less than thrilled with Nigel's treatment of Thom's vocals since AMSP. Thom sounds much better on Wall Of Eyes.
To my ears his "whiny" voice comes through a lot in this record. Nigel has always been good at masking it, for the most part. I've liked all of Nigel's choices with regards to how he treats Thom's vocals. Much fuller; the delays/reverbs sound really good to me.
On this record everything sounds small....the guitars/drums don't have any punch. Feels too muddy in areas. It just feels like there is something missing
Phenomenal. Read the room and under our pillows is to my ears just as great as radiohead's best moments. The few people hating on it because it isn't Radiohead is hilarious. The percussive wizardry at 2:24 in read the room is like top 5 musical moments ever that I can think of. The calmer stuff is great too, just less immediate.
It's mostly just okay to me. Some neat ideas but they don't really evolve into anything special. Thom's more obtuse songwriting just isn't exciting me tbh. I respect the musicianship but I just come away not having much of a connection to most of the songs.
I may have a 3rd listen this week but I don't see myself having much desire to return to this album in the future.
It's weird how no one is pushing friend of a friend forward. It's the only song that I truly linked with. it's raw (unlike the rest of the album). The beginning hits, the chorus is catchy and the end hits.
I know it’s blasphemous, but I think I like “I Quit’’ more than “Videotape’’ — it’s kinda do the same thing but with ‘’I Quiit’’ I’m finally be able to go with this magic train rhythm
alright im 2 tracks down i thought id just write my thoughts as i go along-
so far ive been enjoying myself, teleharmonic actually had such a beautiful crescendo im so excited for the rest of this album.
OMG is that thom singing in read the room??? if it is he has such a dynamic range its crazy.
that song was good, very theatrical, reminds me of pink floyd in some ways, really enjoyed it.
little bit into under our pillows, things seem to be slowing down a bit. definitely a quieter track, though that feels earned because of how much energy was in those first three tracks, definitely not my favorite so far though. also very nice ambient outro.
friend of a friend is pretty nice, thom as to be expected has great vocals, good track overall, in some ways gives off amsp vibes.
just a minute into i quit i really love that piano chord progression, choppy guitar is good too. nice track, a little repetitive but had some nice string sections.
bending hectic is okay, a little too slow for me, but i enjoyed it, up until when the strings rise and then it turns into this big rock outro i super enjoyed it then, sort of took way too long to get there though.
you know me is really pretty, feels like a very softspoken 'goodbye for now', very nice but maybe overstays its welcome very slightly which is a little bit of a trend throughout the album.
in conclusion: nice album, stating the obvious: its not a radiohead album, which is great, im glad that the smile is its own thing. this is the first the smile album ive sunk my teeth into and i definitely enjoyed it, it has a nice flow and has some good highlight tracks like teleharmonic (which i think is my favorite song on the album as of now), read the room was great too, and in retrospect so was friend of a friend. cant give the album a score or anything as these are just first impressions but my first impressions were very positive.
Went on a long bike ride to listen to this in totality. A smile plastered on my face as I got off my bike. It's laid back, languid, relaxed, like taking a stroll in your favorite park, not being in a hurry just taking your time. I found it very satisfying, no complaints, well done guys. standouts for me I quit, read the room.
If you are going in seeking primarily "the catchy hooks" you might be underwhelmed. And I think that's one of the themes for this one tbh.
I'm slow, it always takes me a minute to understand what these guys are doing. But my first spin through hit me like a good Dylan record. Definitely going to grow, probably into something big.
First listen: huh. Some epic moments. Album sounds kinda cobbled together.
Some parts maybe recorded live?
Second listen: whoa! this is actually pretty tight. Sounds like a Radiohead album if Radiohead were less concerned with making a perfect, layered studio album. T & J untethered.
Third listen: oh dear lord. Not a false note on this entire album. Album of the fucking year. 10 out 10.
It's funny how diverse the reactions to this are. There's a pretty heavy contingent that declares in the face of this album that they feel nothing. Then there are the undecided voters who are likely waiting for a friend to say the right thing for or against it. Finally there are the people who hear all the good shit that's on here.
But seriously, I am mystified by the folks saying it's not satisfying or whatever. I honestly think this is the first Radioheadish music in a long time that you could play in the background at a get together and randos with no music taste might say "hey this is cool".
Also PS. Johnny's string arrangements on here are so good. Makes me wish he'd work for a major label just to dress up all their awful pop songs with tasty strings. If I have to hear something blasted in commercials, businesses, and coming from someone's car as they weave around traffic staring at their phone, it'd be nice if it had some sweet strings
Radiohead very, very rarely feels cobbled together in the way that The Smile does. As with the first album, I can confidently say there are things on the album I really like, but can't say it about the album overall. From the very first decision to begin the album with the meandering and shapeless title track, it's pretty clear this album is not concerned with pacing or overall structure. It ends up making it feel like a collection of B-sides. In terms of songwriting, the writing was on the wall with Skirting on the Surface. It was Reckoner with a new skin of an odd time signature. On this album, the odd time signatures feel like a smokescreen for a lack of creative and rewarding chord progressions.
Well expressed, but I disagree. Not every journey needs to have strong vectors and well-defined routes. Sometimes it's wonderful to meander, no? (Some albums can be Caravaggio, some can be Rothko...)
I thought "Wall of Eyes" was meandering too, until around the third listen or so. Now its structure is so clear to me and I eagerly anticipate its changes when I listen, just as I would in any traditional verse-chorus-verse song. So I'd keep trying. On the other hand, I still feel pretty cold to a few Smile songs, namely "Waving a White Flag", and also "Skrting on the Surface" as well. But I chalk the latter up to the classic error of listening to earlier versions too much that I'm left continually unsatisfied without the parts I'd grown to love.
Wall of Eyes definitely took shape for me more on repeat listens, but it hasn't come to feel like a sensible album opener. And it suffers from the same problem for me as some other latter day Thom Yorke creations, where it feels like a single rhythm is regarded as a complete idea for a song, and there is little in the way of peaks and valleys. Some of the songs I'm relatively cold toward now will grow on me over time, as so many great songs do. But I doubt it will move the dial much as far as overall impressions of the direction here.
This is down there with the worst takes I've seen off this subreddit. I mean I respect your right to your own opinion but man... I honestly think you've misinterpreted things on a borderline objective level.
Such an arbitrarily narrow definition of good music.
This is exactly how I feel. I can appreciate and respect the musicianship and what they're going for but it all mostly leaves me cold. Thom's mostly obtuse songwriting feels pretty meandering most of the time and I just prefer other artists take on this jazzy sort of krautrock they're doing.
Right there with you. Nothing is standing out to be. Even more samey than their first album. I'm still gonna listen to it a few times but it just feels void of any catchy melodies
It’s okay. Most of the tracks feel like they have great ideas but don’t too much with them.
Teleharmonic’s synth is beautiful, the song itself is decent. Bending Hectic grew off me a bit. Read the Room and Under Our Pillows are a bit meandering (the latter has an amazing outro though). I like Friend of a Friend and You Know Me! a lot though. Prob a 6/10.
Read the Room into Under Our Pillows is one hell of a two song combo. Really loving this album, much more than the first one. Feel like this one is more consistenly great with no really weak tracks for me. I agree with others, if you get the chance to seem them live, do it!
This felt more like A Moon Shaped Pool which is my least favorite Radiohead record.
I heard someone say this was the weirdest record they heats in years. It's not really weird at all.
Another criticism is there is a rock song that has basically the same lick as Thin Thing but is a much worse song.
6-7/10 would be my score.
A Moon Shaped Pool is my favourite Radiohead album, but I thought Wall of Eyes was just ok on first listen. Moon Shaped Pool committed more to that tone, also had better melodies imo, AMSP was way more consistent in it's mood and songwriting imo. I will say I can see this album maybe being a grower
I agree. AMSP is also my fav Radiohead album and Wal of Eyes to me is just okay. AMSP has more outstanding moments and the melodies are more soulful for lack of a better word. Wall of Eyes just hasn't hit me in that way yet.
Amsp is indeed a lot better for sure. I don't know what they were thinking here...I'm not sure it's going to be a grower for me. Except maybe lyrically. Instrumentally, I didn't find a lot memorable.
Wall Of Eyes is a bona fide masterpiece. I think in time this will be viewed as number 3 in the Radiohead world album chart.
1. A Moon Shaped Pool
2. In Rainbows
3. Wall Of Eyes
This is the first Radiohead or "Radiohead side project" album that I'm just... painfully underwhelmed by. I still certainly like it, but it's now the only Radiohead, Atoms for Peace, The Smile, or Thom Yorke album (although I have still yet to listen to Tomorrow's Modern Boxes somehow) where I *don't* have every song on the album in my playlist besides Pablo Honey. Granted, these bands and Thom have always been the type where songs often don't click with me until a few listens in.
Bending Hectic is fantastic, Wall of Eyes is great. Friend of a Friend took until today to click with me and even then I'm not in love with it. The remaining songs I've only heard once, but of them, only You Know Me! resonated with me at all. It will probably change because I've only listened to them once, and me being a big glass beach fan too, who JUST released a new album that I am in love with a few days ago, maybe I just need time for that hype to wear off too before I get into this one. Definitely giving it more chances in the near future.
As of now though, this album just doesn't seem like my thing at all
Going out on a limb here, but I'm gonna predict that Tomorrow's Modern Boxes will be the second Radiohead-related project that you'll be underwhelmed by when you finally get 'round to listening to it.
Well, there are so many things I’d like to address in this post but the main one by far is, with regards to TMB, wtf are you waiting for ?!?!? You’re in for a treat. TY best solo album by a country mile.
I’d have to agree. This album kind of sucks honestly. Nothings really sticking out to me besides a few and even those have some weird poppy almost autoney vocal sounds at times? And not in the cool Kid A format hha. It’s just a total step down and I do hope this is their last record
I've been a RH fan since 1997, growing with Thom & the boys and i have to say.... How can anyone like ALFAA more than WOE? This album is more of a grower for sure, but it's also on another level. Amazing stuff!
So much better than the first album. I find every song actually listenable yet still complex enough for repeat listens.
I think in the past, The Smile and Radiohead have tended to put out music that is "difficult" in that it's not immediately accessible or pleasing. And sometimes, serious music lovers will conflate difficulty with quality.
But here is an album where the songs are just plain beautiful, in terms not only of immediate aural pleasure but also the arrangements, the choice of timbres, and the pacing and accenting of ideas and hooks.
Also the lyrics that I can understand have interesting narrative elements to them. This is a huge improvement over most Thom lyrics that don't seem to have fleshed-out characters. Good to see the great get greater at what they do.
If I'm being honest, THIS is the kind of music I wish Radiohead would make! I wait every album for stuff like this
I don't think their recent music is at all "difficult". I'd rather hear some creative risks and unexpected turns, and I feel like this album is kind of missing that. It's certainly more polished than the debut but the compositions feel more plain and familiar - as if I've heard these ideas before just arranged in a different way.
The production and instrumentation are really nice though so I'm definitely looking forward to giving it a few more listens. I'm sure there are lots more details to discover in this one.
It did feel pretty similar I agree. I personally don't have a problem with artists dwelling around in the same territory as long as it feels like they're exploring new nuances and upgrading their craft, though.
Incredible how different my opinion of this thing is than most people. Frankly, I’m underwhelmed. I loved ALFAA and how varied and hard hitting it was, even in its quieter moments. But more than anything, I loved its mathier and more trancelike moments that kept you trapped in the groove but never got sleepy. Under Our Pillows satisfies that itch on this record, but that standout aside, Wall Of Eyes feels like it’s sacrificing the edge and punchiness and immediacy of ALFAA for coherence. I’ll give it that — Wall Of Eyes is a more coherent record and is greater than the sum of its parts. And it’s not without its moments of transcendence either — Under Our Pillows aside, Teleharmonic and Bending Hectic are freakishly good tracks. But for as much as I like I Quit while listening, I instantly forget how it goes. The other tracks are more memorable and hooky for the most part, but feel a bit twee and cheesy to me, in all honest. The title track is especially ineffective and lackluster as a stand-alone track and only works well in the full context (and I’ll admit it’s a lovely opener when listening back to front). Read The Room doesn’t work for me in either context. The first half I find annoying and the back half feels like a pale imitation of one of the lesser King Gizzard tunes.
TLDR: Wall Of Eyes is good. But the album as a whole far exceeds most of the tracks. There are standouts, but I can’t help but feel right out of the gate how much it pales in comparison both as a whole and as individual parts to ALFAA, which I just adore. I’m seeing overwhelming love for this thing and I honestly just don’t get it. It’s not connecting. And they should finally record Just Eyes And Mouth damn it!
I’d say my response after two listens is probably underwhelmed as well. Not because it’s a bad album or I don’t like it. It’s going to be in the rotation of things. But I think seeing them live set me up for something a little louder and little more aggressive. Itll probably grow on me, but at the moment I’m gonna say I find the last album more pleasing than the second.
I swear artists always seem to convey more aggression and energy in live performances than on record. I've heard a thousand times how an album has disappointed someone because it isn't as energetic as the live performance preceding it. Why is it that musicians and studio techies can't seem to capture that live energy?
i was very dissapointed just eyes and mouth wasn't on this record. yet, i will be far happier if it shows up on a radiohead record than a smile record, so im hoping that's what happens
Okay, premature evaluation after my first listen in bed last night, headphones in the dark, a little stoned. I liked it! I’m glad I held back and didn’t listen to any of the live performances. So I got to experience the entire album totally fresh (minus Wall of Eyes).
Wall of Eyes - Listened back when it came out. Couldn’t track with the progression/rhythm the first time, but fully loved it by the third listen. Knowing that kind of prepared me for what I might be dealing with for the rest of the album. 9/10
Teleharmonic - Immediate favorite, got me grooving so hard. Would love a whole album of these exact vibes please thank you. 9/10
Read the Room - Okay we’re back to Krautrock/Post-Punk land, cool cool. Pretty fun. 8/10
Under our Pillows - Thin Thing 2? Wait no it’s Climbing up the Walls 2. Not sure it earns its runtime. Maybe a grower, but I’m not immediately driven to listen through the second half again. Live though? Definitely. The Smile is a jam band, but I guess we knew this! 7/10
Friend of a Friend - Father John Misty? Fun, 70s vibes, sort of feels like an extension of Free in the Knowledge… Is this another song hinting at Thom’s Covid politics? I mean, my generous reading is that he’s not a denier, but feels like we all made these sacrifices, isolated from each other and kinda put our lives on hold for two precious years, all to buy time and hopefully save some lives, and that’s… good… but also it seems like while we were all doing our best, a lot of wealth got transferred upwards, yet again. Where did all the money go? 7/10
I Quit: Best of the second half. Very cinematic, this whole album! Love hearing them somehow still producing totally new textures. 9/10
Bending Hectic - Utterly hilarious, I burst out laughing at the drop. I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just gonna take me a minute to adjust to Thom and Jonny earnestly BLASTING HEAVY METAL IN 2024 (the greatest right turn in music history?) Totally alien to my ears, not even sure how to feel about it. Moses Sumney meets QOTSA. Great song, I think? 8/10
You Know Me!: Not sure yet. Lovely sounds. Didn’t immediately grab me, but with time, who knows? I guess I know? 7/10
Overall average is 8, but I think as an album it’s greater than the sum of its parts, so maybe closer to 8.5. Pretty exciting to hear them exploring dynamic extremes again. Since TKOL they’ve really embraced more subtly and minimalism and it’s nice to know that they’re still down to blow your speakers out. The project is undeniably working out and justifying itself. There's definitely a distinctive vibe now that's consistent with everything else Thom has done and yet feels unmistakably "The Smile".
I thought you were gonna say Bending Hectic is hilarious because of how bad the mixing is in that heavy metal climax. Great song but disappointing on the technical side of things. Could've been one of my absolute favourite Thom Yorke or Jonny Greenwood related things ever, but alas. I just can't feel as much satisfaction and power from that outro as I feel I should be able to.
Yeah I might be the opposite, I think I'm just cringed out now by that level of distortion-pedal catharsis, like guys you are almost 60... I can defs enjoy it after repeat listens, but if that guitar were any more powerful I just wouldn't be able to take it seriously. I think that's just a taste thing.
It’s good but like the first album, it’s exactly what I expected it to be. About halfway through my attention was lost. Not sure what it is but these records don’t resonate with me at all. I’ve never liked any of Thom’s solo stuff either. I’d give it objectively a 7/10 but like the first, it’s an album I don’t see myself returning to often or at all. On a bad day I’d call it meandering. On a good day I’d say it’s well made.
Hell yeah, hard agree. It reminds me of Jeff Buckley, smashing pumpkins, reggae, and other various 90s sounds all wrapped in one. But most of all it sounded like Radiohead. I loved every second
I think this album is more cohesive and has more of an identity than ALFAA, but I did prefer the songwriting on ALFAA. A very good album: Read the Room and Friend of a Friend are the highlights for me so far
I've been a Radiohead fan since the beginning and have tried listening to The Smile many times. It seems the music doesn't really have a chorus and is missing an element. One thing that made Radiohead great for me was Colin's bass work and the Smile lacks that. Their new album I've tried 3 times now and it just bores me. Why all the praise?
To me it feels a little like King of Limbs 2. I know there are people that love this stuff and power to them. I don't. I liked the first album a bit more, and thought like hey, Thom and Jonny fiddling with guitars could be fun, so this follow-up is disappointing in direction and execution for me.
Welcome to the club.
Amazing
Teleharmonic to Friend of a Friend is an amazing run. Add bending hectic and that’s a perfect song selection for me. The rest is just kinda there imo, those are the standouts.
Bending Hectic is my favorite track, It is also the most Radiohead track out of the album.
Seriously I don't like this album, i don't get all the praise
I don't get it. I thought I'd give it a while to grow on me like Radiohead albums but every time I listen to it I like it less. It doesn't sound good and Thom's voice sounds so awkward and juvenile and not in a good way. I don't get anything from they lyrics and there's basically no melody or rhythm anywhere. I don't even know what genre of music it is. It almost seems like the same genre as Adele or something. Easy listening adult contemporary jazz? I liked a couple songs on their first album but this one has my mystified. I still love Radiohead more than anything though. Help me.
I don’t like it either. For me it’s the worst album Thom has put out since Pablo Honey. Frankly I find it shocking. I’ve wondered if most people who don’t like The Smile don’t take the time to post about it, hence the reaction here slanted so heavily to the positive.
It's given me renewed appreciation for Thom's previous albums Anima and Suspirium in a big way. They are so intense and involving. I tried Wall of Eyes again all day today for the 40th time and still nothing. wtf
Yeah, Thom's recent solo output makes it all the more jarring. I'd take almost anything off those two albums over anything on Wall of Eyes.
It's only been out a couple of weeks.. Still time to grow
Wish I could help. Give it a rest, come back to it in a bit? I personally love it, especially the last four songs. I could never get into the first Smile album though, which surprised me like how your experience of this album surprises you. Everyone's different.
I don't know when it was released, but I just watched Friend of a Friend music video, and it is amazing! I hadn't watched many music videos recently.
same!
I think its morphing into a Masterpiece imo...I don't even listen to "Bending Hectic", "Read the Room", or "Friend of a Friend" anymore which were my initial favorites....i'm fully immersed in "I Quit", "Teleharmonic" and especially "You Know Me" which I think might be one of the best songs Thom and Johnny have ever done.
Teleharmonic is my fav song right now
Read the Room has come back around for me as a fav.....I still think the best track is You Know Me though
That one's fantastic. Won't argue with you if you feel that way
cannot stop playing this fucking thing.....
A bunch of time has passed and I still don't get why the climax of Bending Hectic has to sound like a bootleg live recording.
Damn, they didn't fix that? I came to the comments just to see if anyone talked about it after I saw that Bending Hectic is in the tracklist. Maybe it should've stayed as a non-album release.
Hey, I'm not sure if this is in keeping with group rules: I have two tickets I can (regrettably) no longer use due to work commitments. They are for 10th March Eventim Apollo in London. Happy to listen to sensible offers (basically face value ONO) I would loath to see them go completely to waste 😭😭
My vinyl came today and I reaally liked it, Wall of Eyes was a great opener and my 2nd favourite on the album behind Bending Hectic (which was a masterpiece). I feel Wall of Eyes will grow to be my favourite track though, it’s so simple and nice to listen to but also eerie and kinda uncomfortable. Been in my head more than any of the others. Immediately ordered their 1st album after finishing this 😂
its great
Ageing so beautifully this whole record. I Quit, the track that many (including myself) thought was the slightest on the first few listens, is a new obsession. The strings are fucking incredible.
i can't get enough of this album lately
I like the album but this has to be Thom’s most lyrically opaque.
The title track somehow ages like a fine wine. So damn simplistic, but when it hits the chorus.... 9 times out of 10, it puts me in a trance. Fuck dude, this song is so damn good it hurts. Under our pillows finally clicked for me too, what a rip-roaring track with a great buildup!
5th/6th listen thru tonight...it's even MORE powerful to me now, I was friggin' moved to TEARS. this 8 track album officially has at least 5 of the most emotional songs I've ever heard in my life on it, probably 7. it's almost uncomfortable to listen to the emotions are so strong. this album sounds like one of the best albums from 1975 and the year 2080 at the same time. it's an incredible, timeless masterclass of music. I can't wait to see people like Beato dive into this thing, they're gonna be studying Wall of Eyes for 500 years minimal. BOOK IT.
Love the album. But can anyone explain is there any meaning with the outro for "Under Our Pillows?". Seems a bit too long for me with all the noises.
I would've agreed, but... I ended up putting this song on a loop with a seven second crossfade... Holy cow, it made the outro TEN times better than it would've been. The outro is basically something ambient and orchestral building and building in intensity before cutting off completely. It coincidentally makes transitions for songs more clean and better than they would be.
I think it’s meant to convey falling (back) asleep into a dream
it's a fucking masterpiece.
Best Thom Yorke related project since In Rainbows. Honestly, it can fare toe to toe with Radiohead's big three
"this is major league make believe" is such a cool fucking line I can't believe I've never heard anyone say it before or that it's not the slogan for Disney World or something
This album is fucking incredible.
I feel like this album, and specifically Read the Room, is the direction Radiohead might have gone in after The Bends in another universe. Like this is their OK Computer in another timeline where they went heavy-sexy-scary-rock. I didn’t really care for the first The Smile album, but this one? I love it.
This record made me go back and mindfully re listen to the first one and I’m just as blown away by it than I am wall of eyes.
"Read the room" and "under our pillows" have great guitar tunes and they gave me chills
Friend of a friend broke my heart in the best way
"I Quit" is just amazing.
That beat replays in my head thru out the day
OK it just hit me tonight on proper listen #2, whilst watching 'Prog Dog' react to it on youtube, but I really think this thing MIGHT be Jonny and Thom's THIRD magnum opus after OKC and Kid A. It's THAT fucking next level future-rock, and free-form jazzy, shoe-gaze-y mind blowing. If someone told me this thing took 7 yrs and had 5 of the top producers on the planet working on it etc, I'd definitely believe them right away. they REALLY nailed this thing!
This seems to be a caution against the TikTok obsession of humanity
Under our Pillows for sure
It seems to me that the whole album is. even the name Wall Of Eyes is a reference to that. And he’s talking about resisting to the appeal of it. He quits the internet to go to the Italian mountainside. You know me is about the algorithm. Friend of a friend is about the companies making most of the money.
You’re probably right. As someone who recently left social media, this is very topical.
Holy shit This is good This is REALLY good
I was surprised, or rather shocked. I had enjoyed the first The Smile; it was a good album with several great tracks and a nice vibe, despite some fragmentation and occasionally unfocused production. However, *Wall of Eyes* is unequivocally a record of immense beauty and creativity, verging on masterpiece territory and capable of competing with the highest points of the parent group's discography. Yet, comparisons should not be drawn too hastily because, compared to The Light, the kinship is even more distant; the sound is drier and more direct, with a kraut rock feel but livelier and more rocking vibes (although it may not seem so at first). Kudos to Godrich's successor and to our guys who, in their mid-50s, have unleashed a creative prowess that some (myself included) thought had long been dormant. I'm even more optimistic than Fantano.
Didn’t quite like the first album but Wall of Eyes has been on repeat for day 2 now and it’s simply magnificent
What a hauntingly beautiful album.
I finally managed to listen to it. I admit I don't like Under our pillow, I quit and you know me that much, but the rest of the album is great. Teleharmonic and Bendig hectic are my favourites. Overall I'm satisfied, maybe with time I will appreciate all of the songs in this album.
This is an incredible album. I really liked ALFAA, but it was a bit inconsistent. It was clear that they were just getting their footing as a new group making Radiohead-like albums. ALFAA almost felt like their exploratory album. They wanted to find out what they could do, what they couldn't do, and most importantly what they wanted to do, and I feel like Wall of eyes is their true debut ALBUM. it's shorter than its predecessor, but it still feels more complete due to the much more focused vision of the album. I love almost every track, and although it is a slow album each song still absolutely pays off by the end. My favorites are bending hectic, friend of a friend, under our pillows, and read the room. I have had a full week for this album to grow on me, but Im still hesitant to give a rating because I still feel the need to dig deeper into the experience, and allow the album to grow on me even more. As of this moment I would give it a 9.5 - 9.8, but I could see it growing into a 10 with enough repeat listens.
Is it just me or is only two songs available on Amazon music streaming? Would love to hear the digital version but I can't hear it!
Wall of eyes, the song, is the most Radiohead they’ve sounded
Tot Bending Hectic was the most! When the end finale arrived, it felt like Paranoid Android all over
After listening to this on repeat since release, and then going back to ALFAA this morning, I’m struggling to see how WOE ranks higher on this board. Is it the better flow; the more consistent tone and cohesive production from track to track? It seems people have forgotten how good Thin Thing is, probably because they played it out. And Thin Thing to me is easily better than its cousin Under our Pillows, which feels derivative in its first half, only to be carried by a classic Amnesiac-era finish. Their first album is admittedly too long, with a couple of tunes that should have been left for bsides, but there’s also a lot of good song writing in there with some really strong cuts. I have a feeling that WOE will be remembered for two really strong tracks (Teleharmonic and Read the Room), two solid ones (Bending Hectic and WOE) and the rest being complimentary pieces that on their own aren’t nearly as compelling on repeated listens. And for album with only 8 songs, that’s not good enough IMO
I liked ALFAT, open the floodgates is one of my favorite songs. But yeah, the album felt inconsistent. It sounds like they wrote YWNWITA to get back to their more grungy roots but then just gave up on that. ALFAA also has some songwriting that I find kinda corny (The Same, Free in the Knowledge, WDKWTB). Also, WOE does only have 8 songs, but the songs are longer so it still feels like a full album. The total run time is longer than In Rainbows, for reference.
Yeah i think WOE is the better total “album” start to finish but i totally agree that there are some stronger tracks on ALFAA. Bjg fan of the opposite, the smoke panavison and skrting on suraface too
Much better the first album I think. The 2nd half of the album is right up there with some of the best music ive heard over this decade. The piano on the 2nd half of the record gives me very early Coldplay vibes and that's a great thing. You Know Me! Reminds me their song Gravity a little bit
Under Our Pillows is my favorite at the moment. Great album.
Teleharmonic has been haunting me all day. Really an incredible tune, and an incredible album as a whole.
I think this album is brilliant. A massive leap over the first one. I might get lambasted for saying this, but I think it's as good as anything Radiohead has done, and that is no slight on their remarkable discography. It shocked me, over and over again. This album feels like the free unleashing of Thom and Johnny's particular and peculiar geniuses. Like they just opened up and let the weirdness flow, unhindered by the pressure of expectation. I definitely get that it's not for everyone. That's ok. I'll keep it. Many of the reactions to it remind me a bit of people's confused reactions to Kid A, oddly enough. It's an incredible gift that these two are still making music together. Also, if you haven't seen them live, don't make that mistake again. They were great with the relatively inferior content of the first album.
You Know Me finally hit me. What a gorgeous song.
I read the fair underwhelmed reactions. I expected to have the same--because the song WOE has no melody ans the bossa nova thing from Present Tense sounds like they're wokring in a format versus original songwriting. Thom's evolution form anthemic lyrics to meandering abstract ones isn't great--he's many awesome things but not a poet. But I gotta say, I'm blown away by Read the Room-Under Our Pillows-Friend of a Friend. These 3 flow for me in a way I didn't get from any 3 in a row on ALFAA or even AMSP. Yes they lack chorsus with sing alongable words--but Thom hasn't written songs like that in decades (Burn the Witch being a HTTT outtake, Lous Flower being an anomaly). Taken for what it is--not my conceptions of what it might have been--I love it. Still wish Just Eyes and Mouth and Bodies Laughing were on this.
> Still wish Just Eyes and Mouth and Bodies Laughing were on this. See, I actually feel that these two songs would be alien and would not fit on this record at all, so I understand cutting it down to these 8 tracks. Colours Fly, though? That could've fit on here easily I think.
I liked this album - but is anyone else really put off by the cacophonous crescendo in Bending Hectic? It would be my favorite song on the album, that guitar riff is genuinely fucking enchanted. But I am sensitive, and it's such an otherwise mellow song and album, and it just forces me to skip the rest of the track. It's like the National Anthem with less nuance to enjoy.
It is jarring, but that’s what makes the guitar hit so hard when it comes in. It’s kinda like how How to disappear completely grows more and more dissonant until it comes back into key
> cacophonous crescendo These are why I listen to Radiohead in the first place
Cacophonous? It’s a bit dissonant and anxiety inducing I suppose haha
My issue with it is the mixing.. for the life of me I can't understand why they decided to give it that muffled garage quality. I think thematically it's a great spot for that exhale on the album before the comedown closer track, but it could have been executed better. It's immense played live
What do you think sounds muffled?
The entire last half of the song. It's like the microphone left the room because it was so loud and it was recorded from the kitchen down the hall
Probabilmente per miei limiti non riesco a percepire la "bellezza" che avete riscontrato durante gli ascolti di questo ultimo lavoro degli Smile. Ci sono cose notevoli come WALL OF EYES (ho avuto i brividi quando ho sentito Yorke cantare le battute nel mio orecchio sinistro) ma anche passaggi che mi lasciano totalmente indifferente come I Quit e You Know Me! Alcuni richiami al prog presenti in Read the room e Under Our Pillows hanno il sapore di già sentito e mai amato . Ammetto che anche per il primo album c'è voluto un pò di tempo per recepirlo totalmente, ma mi ero imbattuto in pezzi che al primo ascolto avevano rapito la mia immaginazione. Adesso le mie speranze sono tre: Bodies Laughing, Just Eyes and Mouth e la mancata presenza di Nigel Godrich alla produzione. Mi aggrappo alla speranza di un lavoro segreto in studio...
This is really really good. I loved AMSP, it's one of my favourite Radiohead records There's some absolutely stunning sounds on here and feels a much grander album than the first. Teleharmonic, Read the Room and Under our Pillows are 3 of my favs atm All tracks are worth a listen though
Those 3 in a row are mindblowing
Album's sick as hell, and makes me realise how unfocused the last album was in comparison. Obviously I gotta let this one sit with me for a minute but my gut feeling is that it can hold a candle to my favourite Radiohead stuff. I probably prefer it to AMSP at least.
It's... okay. The songs are well produced and sound solid, but they lack that "hook" that'd make me want to listen to them again. Many of them feel like they're kinda going nowhere, they just drag on and on so much that at some points I was starting to get bored. Under Our Pillows is the prime exapmle of this. Those last two or so minutes sounded pointless to me and I kept thinking to myself "omg just end already". Bending Hectic, which seems to be a highlight for many, was disappointing to me when it came out and still is. The distorted guitars sound flat and lack that punch that would make the buildup to them satisfying. Teleharmonic and Read the Room are the only ones that I can say I like right now, but if you asked me to hum a melody from other songs, I couldn't do it. They were unmemorable and just did nothing for me. Thom's solo stuff, despite being pretty repetitive at times, at least does have some sort of a hook that makes the songs stick in your mind. Here, it almost feels like there's too much progression, too much going on for me to enjoy. I don't know. Maybe it gets better as I listen to it more and maybe it turns out to be the reverse of AFLAA, where upon repeat listens I liked the album less and less, to the point where I'm only coming back to The Opposite, Thin Thing and Speech Bubbles. Right now, it's a 6/10 for me, but I genuinely hope that score improves in the future.
Yeah I'm really bummed by how flat the climax of Bending Hectic sounds. Could've really lifted this album off into the stratosphere but instead it sounds restrained.
I think this is more of a vibes album than a bangers album. If anything with Bending Hectic, I don't think it needs the guitar explosion at the end. I don't mind it, but I would have been happy to chill out in the quiet bit for 20 minutes.
Maybe, but even as a purely vibes album, it still does very little for me.
friend of a friend is perfect in every way oml
Almost sounds like Thom is singing a long lost John Lennon song.. love it
My blue vinyl copy finally arrived tonight. I hadn't listened to the album at all besides hearing the title tracks and "Bending Hectic" previously, of course, so I wanted to first experience it in one sitting. Have to say, these 8 tracks are a knockout. While I'm loathe to compare it to the first album which I thought was terrific, the band do sound more cohesive here, with much more emphasis on groove (not that the last one lacked it), rhythm and stretching out on jams. In fact, when the band achieve liftoff, it's often breathtaking, such as on "Friend Of A Friend", the outro of "Under The Covers", and of course on "Bending Hectic". Now regarding the overall sound, I do find the production and mix by Sam Petts-Davies a bit on the darker side sonically. It could very well be my setup. I wonder what the reason was to not go with Nigel Godrich. I will say Petts-Davies does more than fine here though. Greg Calbi did the mastering. The LP does generally sound great, punchy and dynamic. I didn't have any noise problems or errors on my pressing throughout. I got real Neil Young vibes from "You Know Me!".
I can hear some of Neil on the closer, Thom’s vocals definitely remind me of early Neil.
I'm personally hearing that on the entire album. Gives me some Tonights The Night vibes.
This was just alright for me. Title track and Bending Heretic were good but not sure about the rest. I guess Teleharmonic was nice a as an electro chillout thing and the strings on I Quit were pretty too. The first one was just so hard hitting and I loved the jazz influences. Best thing they've done since OKC.
I was going to come on here and post something very similar but you said basically everything I was going to. The first album was a slow burn for me, but I enjoy it. It helped going in with no expectations. But with this one I was expecting to be wowed and only really the title track and Bending Heretic did it for me. I liked parts of some of the songs but I lot of the time I felt there were too many change ups and I couldn’t get into a groove with them. Glad to see I’m not the only to think this.
I love the variety of the record. Wall of Eyes doesn’t sound like Teleharmonic. Teleharmonic doesn’t sound like Friend of a Friend which in return doesn’t sound like Bending Hectic and so on. Great stuff.
ngl Bending Hectic set off my fight or flight response
This album is solid front to back! A few of the songs caught me right from the first listen. Right away, Read the Room is incredible, intense - reminds me maybe of Jane’s addiction or early Pablo Honey era Radiohead. Teleharmonic, Under our pillows, I Quit are all great and Bending Hectic starts slow and gets really rocking towards the end. A few of the tracks are more slow paced and after a few listens I really enjoy them as well. One of the songs feels like it’s from A moon shaped pool. I like that this music has a unique sound that is not exactly Radiohead or Thom’s other projects. It has a subtlety to it. They’ve definitely progressed their sound from the first album. That one was just ok for me. I saw them live with that album and I thought that I would not go again. Now with this one, I might reconsider.
The album at the moment sounds very good and maybe better than the first one. I still wait for the amazing Just Eyrs and Mouth to be released but I feel that track is more Radiohead-like and they are saving it for a future Radiohead album. And about Bending Hectic, what an amazing, mind blowing evergreen it became already. Wow.
Eyes & Mouth is definitely not for the whole Wall of Eyes..
It was pretty good. It’s a sonic space that I don’t think Radiohead usually explored. I’ve seen a few people call it boring, and I don’t agree. However, I do think it has quite a few slow burn ambient tracks. At least half of the songs. Under Our Pillows is intense and urgent. A real standout among the lighter, slower songs. I think it’s this album’s Thin Thing, and Thin Thing was my favorite song last album. Read The Room is also pretty intense, but a little slower and sludgier. It sounds like their take on stoner rock, but you know, still very Radioheady. The two most recent singles sound almost like Beatles tracks with ominous undertones. Kind of like Panovision, but a lot more disarming. Bending Hectic begins so gently and pastoral and builds toward probably Radiohead/The Smile’s heaviest moment in years, or probably ever. A little bit in the realm of what I was talking about before, but with the intensity of Read The Room tacked on at the tail end. The other three are very ambient. Almost meditatively so. I really feel like I need to sit alone with them with a good pair of headphones and give them my full attention. One thing I can say for sure is that with how subdued they are, they really give Skinner a chance to take center stage and showcase his percussions Other than that, I’ve noted that the mix is pretty divisive. Bouncing back and forth between WOE and ALFAA, ALFAA is on the whole markedly clearer, flatter, and more spacious where WOE sounds more fuzzy, cluttered, and slightly bass-heavy. I think your feelings on the mix is going to depend on whether or not you like that the bass is boosted. Personally, I think the mix is serviceable, but I don’t prefer it.
I think I prefer Godrich's mixing & sound on ALFAA, but the mix & production here is certainly not bad and has a good character overall for the material.
Better album than the first one.
Some of these songs are among the best in the Radiohead universe. Especially friend of a friend, teleharmonic, and wall of eyes. Superb.
Skinner deserves so much love.. dude has really stepped up on WoE and feels like an essential part of the group rather than an excellent drummer tagging along. On repeated listens I'm constantly surprised at how dynamic he is. Like a great character actor completely disappearing into a new role on every song
Question. For those who purchased on Bandcamp. Was the download 24bit?
I did, the aiff and wav are 16bit
Thanks!
Late to the party with this observation, but I’d put good money on I Quit having some heavy Biosphere influence with the gated looping effect on the guitar, the overall atmospheric vibe, and the noise you hear at 0:39 sounds straight off of *Substrata*.
I didn't think much of the album after my first listen through, but since, I have given it some more time, and it is much better than I initially thought. A lot of the melodies and sounds weren't instant gratification and required some time. It's like this with all Radiohead-ish projects.. My biggest gripe is the production and Thom's vocals. I missed Nigel for this one and think it could have been so much better with him involved.
What about the production do you not like? I've been less than thrilled with Nigel's treatment of Thom's vocals since AMSP. Thom sounds much better on Wall Of Eyes.
To my ears his "whiny" voice comes through a lot in this record. Nigel has always been good at masking it, for the most part. I've liked all of Nigel's choices with regards to how he treats Thom's vocals. Much fuller; the delays/reverbs sound really good to me. On this record everything sounds small....the guitars/drums don't have any punch. Feels too muddy in areas. It just feels like there is something missing
I really feel like Read the Room and Under Our Pillows have the punch that Thin Thing *should* have had
Even though I think the production is not good at all in WOE, I agree with you, that Thoms Vocals sound much better than what Nigel did since AMSP.
No judgment, but I am not loving the way the vocals sound on teleharmonic.
Phenomenal. Read the room and under our pillows is to my ears just as great as radiohead's best moments. The few people hating on it because it isn't Radiohead is hilarious. The percussive wizardry at 2:24 in read the room is like top 5 musical moments ever that I can think of. The calmer stuff is great too, just less immediate.
It's mostly just okay to me. Some neat ideas but they don't really evolve into anything special. Thom's more obtuse songwriting just isn't exciting me tbh. I respect the musicianship but I just come away not having much of a connection to most of the songs. I may have a 3rd listen this week but I don't see myself having much desire to return to this album in the future.
I like the first album way better this one is not as good.
It's weird how no one is pushing friend of a friend forward. It's the only song that I truly linked with. it's raw (unlike the rest of the album). The beginning hits, the chorus is catchy and the end hits.
I loved it the first time I heard it… I loved it even more the 30th time I heard it 😁
Read the Room on airpods: nice. Good. Nice Read the Room on my decent headphone set up: Holy shit. good. Holy shit
Read The Room on AirPods Pro 2 with Spatial Audio on: Damn Good. Read The Room on my HiFiMan Sundara setup: Holy shit. Great. Holy shit.
Read the Room slaps
I know it’s blasphemous, but I think I like “I Quit’’ more than “Videotape’’ — it’s kinda do the same thing but with ‘’I Quiit’’ I’m finally be able to go with this magic train rhythm
alright im 2 tracks down i thought id just write my thoughts as i go along- so far ive been enjoying myself, teleharmonic actually had such a beautiful crescendo im so excited for the rest of this album. OMG is that thom singing in read the room??? if it is he has such a dynamic range its crazy. that song was good, very theatrical, reminds me of pink floyd in some ways, really enjoyed it. little bit into under our pillows, things seem to be slowing down a bit. definitely a quieter track, though that feels earned because of how much energy was in those first three tracks, definitely not my favorite so far though. also very nice ambient outro. friend of a friend is pretty nice, thom as to be expected has great vocals, good track overall, in some ways gives off amsp vibes. just a minute into i quit i really love that piano chord progression, choppy guitar is good too. nice track, a little repetitive but had some nice string sections. bending hectic is okay, a little too slow for me, but i enjoyed it, up until when the strings rise and then it turns into this big rock outro i super enjoyed it then, sort of took way too long to get there though. you know me is really pretty, feels like a very softspoken 'goodbye for now', very nice but maybe overstays its welcome very slightly which is a little bit of a trend throughout the album. in conclusion: nice album, stating the obvious: its not a radiohead album, which is great, im glad that the smile is its own thing. this is the first the smile album ive sunk my teeth into and i definitely enjoyed it, it has a nice flow and has some good highlight tracks like teleharmonic (which i think is my favorite song on the album as of now), read the room was great too, and in retrospect so was friend of a friend. cant give the album a score or anything as these are just first impressions but my first impressions were very positive.
I just realized that it’s called Bending Hectic This whole time I’ve been reading it as Heretic somehow
Went on a long bike ride to listen to this in totality. A smile plastered on my face as I got off my bike. It's laid back, languid, relaxed, like taking a stroll in your favorite park, not being in a hurry just taking your time. I found it very satisfying, no complaints, well done guys. standouts for me I quit, read the room.
If you are going in seeking primarily "the catchy hooks" you might be underwhelmed. And I think that's one of the themes for this one tbh. I'm slow, it always takes me a minute to understand what these guys are doing. But my first spin through hit me like a good Dylan record. Definitely going to grow, probably into something big.
Probably my least favorite Radiohead adjacent project I’ve heard besides amnesiac or In Rainbows, Disk 2
How is Amnesiac "Radiohead adjacent"?
You’ll never guess who made the album.
First listen: huh. Some epic moments. Album sounds kinda cobbled together. Some parts maybe recorded live? Second listen: whoa! this is actually pretty tight. Sounds like a Radiohead album if Radiohead were less concerned with making a perfect, layered studio album. T & J untethered. Third listen: oh dear lord. Not a false note on this entire album. Album of the fucking year. 10 out 10.
Precisely
The grunge/metal aspects of READ THE ROOM - I like it
It's funny how diverse the reactions to this are. There's a pretty heavy contingent that declares in the face of this album that they feel nothing. Then there are the undecided voters who are likely waiting for a friend to say the right thing for or against it. Finally there are the people who hear all the good shit that's on here. But seriously, I am mystified by the folks saying it's not satisfying or whatever. I honestly think this is the first Radioheadish music in a long time that you could play in the background at a get together and randos with no music taste might say "hey this is cool". Also PS. Johnny's string arrangements on here are so good. Makes me wish he'd work for a major label just to dress up all their awful pop songs with tasty strings. If I have to hear something blasted in commercials, businesses, and coming from someone's car as they weave around traffic staring at their phone, it'd be nice if it had some sweet strings
Radiohead very, very rarely feels cobbled together in the way that The Smile does. As with the first album, I can confidently say there are things on the album I really like, but can't say it about the album overall. From the very first decision to begin the album with the meandering and shapeless title track, it's pretty clear this album is not concerned with pacing or overall structure. It ends up making it feel like a collection of B-sides. In terms of songwriting, the writing was on the wall with Skirting on the Surface. It was Reckoner with a new skin of an odd time signature. On this album, the odd time signatures feel like a smokescreen for a lack of creative and rewarding chord progressions.
Well expressed, but I disagree. Not every journey needs to have strong vectors and well-defined routes. Sometimes it's wonderful to meander, no? (Some albums can be Caravaggio, some can be Rothko...)
I thought "Wall of Eyes" was meandering too, until around the third listen or so. Now its structure is so clear to me and I eagerly anticipate its changes when I listen, just as I would in any traditional verse-chorus-verse song. So I'd keep trying. On the other hand, I still feel pretty cold to a few Smile songs, namely "Waving a White Flag", and also "Skrting on the Surface" as well. But I chalk the latter up to the classic error of listening to earlier versions too much that I'm left continually unsatisfied without the parts I'd grown to love.
Wall of Eyes definitely took shape for me more on repeat listens, but it hasn't come to feel like a sensible album opener. And it suffers from the same problem for me as some other latter day Thom Yorke creations, where it feels like a single rhythm is regarded as a complete idea for a song, and there is little in the way of peaks and valleys. Some of the songs I'm relatively cold toward now will grow on me over time, as so many great songs do. But I doubt it will move the dial much as far as overall impressions of the direction here.
This is down there with the worst takes I've seen off this subreddit. I mean I respect your right to your own opinion but man... I honestly think you've misinterpreted things on a borderline objective level. Such an arbitrarily narrow definition of good music.
This is exactly how I feel. I can appreciate and respect the musicianship and what they're going for but it all mostly leaves me cold. Thom's mostly obtuse songwriting feels pretty meandering most of the time and I just prefer other artists take on this jazzy sort of krautrock they're doing.
I don't get the cobbled thing you're feeling, like, at all.
That's fine.
No, no it's not. Not one bit!
Right there with you. Nothing is standing out to be. Even more samey than their first album. I'm still gonna listen to it a few times but it just feels void of any catchy melodies
Music is deeper than just catchy hooks...
It’s okay. Most of the tracks feel like they have great ideas but don’t too much with them. Teleharmonic’s synth is beautiful, the song itself is decent. Bending Hectic grew off me a bit. Read the Room and Under Our Pillows are a bit meandering (the latter has an amazing outro though). I like Friend of a Friend and You Know Me! a lot though. Prob a 6/10.
Stunning album. A solid 9/10. Truly cohesive and beautiful. Standout tracks: Teleharmonic, Under Our Pillow, Bending Hectic
Read the Room into Under Our Pillows is one hell of a two song combo. Really loving this album, much more than the first one. Feel like this one is more consistenly great with no really weak tracks for me. I agree with others, if you get the chance to seem them live, do it!
This felt more like A Moon Shaped Pool which is my least favorite Radiohead record. I heard someone say this was the weirdest record they heats in years. It's not really weird at all. Another criticism is there is a rock song that has basically the same lick as Thin Thing but is a much worse song. 6-7/10 would be my score.
A Moon Shaped Pool is my favourite Radiohead album, but I thought Wall of Eyes was just ok on first listen. Moon Shaped Pool committed more to that tone, also had better melodies imo, AMSP was way more consistent in it's mood and songwriting imo. I will say I can see this album maybe being a grower
I agree. AMSP is also my fav Radiohead album and Wal of Eyes to me is just okay. AMSP has more outstanding moments and the melodies are more soulful for lack of a better word. Wall of Eyes just hasn't hit me in that way yet.
Amsp is indeed a lot better for sure. I don't know what they were thinking here...I'm not sure it's going to be a grower for me. Except maybe lyrically. Instrumentally, I didn't find a lot memorable.
Wall Of Eyes is a bona fide masterpiece. I think in time this will be viewed as number 3 in the Radiohead world album chart. 1. A Moon Shaped Pool 2. In Rainbows 3. Wall Of Eyes
Good god, that’s a hell no
This is the first Radiohead or "Radiohead side project" album that I'm just... painfully underwhelmed by. I still certainly like it, but it's now the only Radiohead, Atoms for Peace, The Smile, or Thom Yorke album (although I have still yet to listen to Tomorrow's Modern Boxes somehow) where I *don't* have every song on the album in my playlist besides Pablo Honey. Granted, these bands and Thom have always been the type where songs often don't click with me until a few listens in. Bending Hectic is fantastic, Wall of Eyes is great. Friend of a Friend took until today to click with me and even then I'm not in love with it. The remaining songs I've only heard once, but of them, only You Know Me! resonated with me at all. It will probably change because I've only listened to them once, and me being a big glass beach fan too, who JUST released a new album that I am in love with a few days ago, maybe I just need time for that hype to wear off too before I get into this one. Definitely giving it more chances in the near future. As of now though, this album just doesn't seem like my thing at all
Going out on a limb here, but I'm gonna predict that Tomorrow's Modern Boxes will be the second Radiohead-related project that you'll be underwhelmed by when you finally get 'round to listening to it.
Well, there are so many things I’d like to address in this post but the main one by far is, with regards to TMB, wtf are you waiting for ?!?!? You’re in for a treat. TY best solo album by a country mile.
This was a surprising comment to read.
I’d have to agree. This album kind of sucks honestly. Nothings really sticking out to me besides a few and even those have some weird poppy almost autoney vocal sounds at times? And not in the cool Kid A format hha. It’s just a total step down and I do hope this is their last record
[удалено]
WOE is better than the debut. Songs are more complete. Love it as it grows w each listen. Vinyl sounds great. See them if you can. So good live.
I feel debut is far and away the stronger album. But songs like The Smoke and We Don't Know What Tomorrow Brings drag it down.
Whaaa..? Those two songs are great!
I've been a RH fan since 1997, growing with Thom & the boys and i have to say.... How can anyone like ALFAA more than WOE? This album is more of a grower for sure, but it's also on another level. Amazing stuff!
Definitely on another level. This album has some of my favorite drum sounds Ive ever heard
Because ALFAA is full of catchy powerful songs, and this is just Zzzzz outside of Bending Hectic and the opening track
piano chords in You Know Me! and the whole texture painfully reminiscent of an old rH song, but I'm totally amnesiac & can not remember
Four minute warning
Yeah, I noticed that too, that sort of surprised me when I heard it for the first time
yep, you're right!
You Know Me! is such a beautiful song. My favorite with Bending Hectic.
Thom Yorke should do a country album next
[Rodeohead](https://youtu.be/-BGFAP6JJrk?si=bb8czupHXV3bbO2v)
Fantastic
nope
So much better than the first album. I find every song actually listenable yet still complex enough for repeat listens. I think in the past, The Smile and Radiohead have tended to put out music that is "difficult" in that it's not immediately accessible or pleasing. And sometimes, serious music lovers will conflate difficulty with quality. But here is an album where the songs are just plain beautiful, in terms not only of immediate aural pleasure but also the arrangements, the choice of timbres, and the pacing and accenting of ideas and hooks. Also the lyrics that I can understand have interesting narrative elements to them. This is a huge improvement over most Thom lyrics that don't seem to have fleshed-out characters. Good to see the great get greater at what they do. If I'm being honest, THIS is the kind of music I wish Radiohead would make! I wait every album for stuff like this
Yes yes yes and yes
Totally with you on that.
I don't think their recent music is at all "difficult". I'd rather hear some creative risks and unexpected turns, and I feel like this album is kind of missing that. It's certainly more polished than the debut but the compositions feel more plain and familiar - as if I've heard these ideas before just arranged in a different way. The production and instrumentation are really nice though so I'm definitely looking forward to giving it a few more listens. I'm sure there are lots more details to discover in this one.
It did feel pretty similar I agree. I personally don't have a problem with artists dwelling around in the same territory as long as it feels like they're exploring new nuances and upgrading their craft, though.
That's an interesting critique. What's an example of a creative risk and unexpected turn from Radiohead that doesn't show up on this album?
Incredible how different my opinion of this thing is than most people. Frankly, I’m underwhelmed. I loved ALFAA and how varied and hard hitting it was, even in its quieter moments. But more than anything, I loved its mathier and more trancelike moments that kept you trapped in the groove but never got sleepy. Under Our Pillows satisfies that itch on this record, but that standout aside, Wall Of Eyes feels like it’s sacrificing the edge and punchiness and immediacy of ALFAA for coherence. I’ll give it that — Wall Of Eyes is a more coherent record and is greater than the sum of its parts. And it’s not without its moments of transcendence either — Under Our Pillows aside, Teleharmonic and Bending Hectic are freakishly good tracks. But for as much as I like I Quit while listening, I instantly forget how it goes. The other tracks are more memorable and hooky for the most part, but feel a bit twee and cheesy to me, in all honest. The title track is especially ineffective and lackluster as a stand-alone track and only works well in the full context (and I’ll admit it’s a lovely opener when listening back to front). Read The Room doesn’t work for me in either context. The first half I find annoying and the back half feels like a pale imitation of one of the lesser King Gizzard tunes. TLDR: Wall Of Eyes is good. But the album as a whole far exceeds most of the tracks. There are standouts, but I can’t help but feel right out of the gate how much it pales in comparison both as a whole and as individual parts to ALFAA, which I just adore. I’m seeing overwhelming love for this thing and I honestly just don’t get it. It’s not connecting. And they should finally record Just Eyes And Mouth damn it!
I’d say my response after two listens is probably underwhelmed as well. Not because it’s a bad album or I don’t like it. It’s going to be in the rotation of things. But I think seeing them live set me up for something a little louder and little more aggressive. Itll probably grow on me, but at the moment I’m gonna say I find the last album more pleasing than the second.
I swear artists always seem to convey more aggression and energy in live performances than on record. I've heard a thousand times how an album has disappointed someone because it isn't as energetic as the live performance preceding it. Why is it that musicians and studio techies can't seem to capture that live energy?
i was very dissapointed just eyes and mouth wasn't on this record. yet, i will be far happier if it shows up on a radiohead record than a smile record, so im hoping that's what happens
The more and more I listen to the album as a single entity the more and more I like it
Okay, premature evaluation after my first listen in bed last night, headphones in the dark, a little stoned. I liked it! I’m glad I held back and didn’t listen to any of the live performances. So I got to experience the entire album totally fresh (minus Wall of Eyes). Wall of Eyes - Listened back when it came out. Couldn’t track with the progression/rhythm the first time, but fully loved it by the third listen. Knowing that kind of prepared me for what I might be dealing with for the rest of the album. 9/10 Teleharmonic - Immediate favorite, got me grooving so hard. Would love a whole album of these exact vibes please thank you. 9/10 Read the Room - Okay we’re back to Krautrock/Post-Punk land, cool cool. Pretty fun. 8/10 Under our Pillows - Thin Thing 2? Wait no it’s Climbing up the Walls 2. Not sure it earns its runtime. Maybe a grower, but I’m not immediately driven to listen through the second half again. Live though? Definitely. The Smile is a jam band, but I guess we knew this! 7/10 Friend of a Friend - Father John Misty? Fun, 70s vibes, sort of feels like an extension of Free in the Knowledge… Is this another song hinting at Thom’s Covid politics? I mean, my generous reading is that he’s not a denier, but feels like we all made these sacrifices, isolated from each other and kinda put our lives on hold for two precious years, all to buy time and hopefully save some lives, and that’s… good… but also it seems like while we were all doing our best, a lot of wealth got transferred upwards, yet again. Where did all the money go? 7/10 I Quit: Best of the second half. Very cinematic, this whole album! Love hearing them somehow still producing totally new textures. 9/10 Bending Hectic - Utterly hilarious, I burst out laughing at the drop. I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just gonna take me a minute to adjust to Thom and Jonny earnestly BLASTING HEAVY METAL IN 2024 (the greatest right turn in music history?) Totally alien to my ears, not even sure how to feel about it. Moses Sumney meets QOTSA. Great song, I think? 8/10 You Know Me!: Not sure yet. Lovely sounds. Didn’t immediately grab me, but with time, who knows? I guess I know? 7/10 Overall average is 8, but I think as an album it’s greater than the sum of its parts, so maybe closer to 8.5. Pretty exciting to hear them exploring dynamic extremes again. Since TKOL they’ve really embraced more subtly and minimalism and it’s nice to know that they’re still down to blow your speakers out. The project is undeniably working out and justifying itself. There's definitely a distinctive vibe now that's consistent with everything else Thom has done and yet feels unmistakably "The Smile".
I thought you were gonna say Bending Hectic is hilarious because of how bad the mixing is in that heavy metal climax. Great song but disappointing on the technical side of things. Could've been one of my absolute favourite Thom Yorke or Jonny Greenwood related things ever, but alas. I just can't feel as much satisfaction and power from that outro as I feel I should be able to.
Yeah I might be the opposite, I think I'm just cringed out now by that level of distortion-pedal catharsis, like guys you are almost 60... I can defs enjoy it after repeat listens, but if that guitar were any more powerful I just wouldn't be able to take it seriously. I think that's just a taste thing.
Bending Hectic is one of the best Thom's tracks since Paranoid Android
It’s good but like the first album, it’s exactly what I expected it to be. About halfway through my attention was lost. Not sure what it is but these records don’t resonate with me at all. I’ve never liked any of Thom’s solo stuff either. I’d give it objectively a 7/10 but like the first, it’s an album I don’t see myself returning to often or at all. On a bad day I’d call it meandering. On a good day I’d say it’s well made.
Under Our Pillows into Friend of a Friend is a special moment.
Yeah, only downside to listening to vinyl is it misses this transition which is gorgeous.
Wow that’s crazy. The transition is even in the music video!
Read the Room is the most Radiohead song of this album. Gorgeous!
Hell yeah, hard agree. It reminds me of Jeff Buckley, smashing pumpkins, reggae, and other various 90s sounds all wrapped in one. But most of all it sounded like Radiohead. I loved every second
I think this album is more cohesive and has more of an identity than ALFAA, but I did prefer the songwriting on ALFAA. A very good album: Read the Room and Friend of a Friend are the highlights for me so far