The Smile – Cutouts

The Smile is a rock trio consisting of Radiohead members Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, bass, keys) and Jonny Greenwood (guitar, bass, keys), along with Tom Skinner (drums) from the jazz band Sons of Kemet. The Smile is more prolific than Radiohead: They have released three albums (plus two live albums) in two years, compared to nearly a decade for the last three Radiohead albums.

The Smile sounds like Radiohead but with a looser and more jazzy vibe.

Cutouts, released in October 2024, was produced by Sam Petts-Davies during the same sessions as the previous Smile album, Wall of Eyes, released in January 2024. Per Wikipedia:

They performed several future Cutouts songs in early live performances in 2021 and 2022. Greenwood first performed the riff from “Eyes & Mouth” on Radiohead’s 2016 tour during performances of their song “Talk Show Host.”

Despite this backstory and the album title, this album is as cohesive as the other two The Smile albums—it is not an album of leftovers. I am finding this the most engaging of the three studio albums.

The album opens with “Foreign Spies,” which has a dirge-like feel. The band creates a warm bath of synth and electronica sounds that Yorke sings over. Lyrically, it seems to describe paranoia lurking in an otherwise beautiful world.

“Instant Psalm” opens with a string arrangement (the London Contemporary Orchestra) but quickly slips into a quiet rock riff. Yorke sings calmly about being in an intimate relationship yet not being close to that person. The song ends with a swell of strings.

“Zero Sum” has a classic Radiohead vibe but with a touch of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers in Yorke’s vocals. The song has a fabulous horn riff courtesy of Pete Wareham (baritone sax) and Robert Stillman (tenor sax). The phrase “zero-sum” refers to a situation in which whatever is gained by one side is lost by the other. Lyrically, the song seems to mock those in positions of power who are no more impressive than an outdated PC operating system like Windows 95 (referred to in the lyrics).

“Colours Fly” is another song with a Radiohead vibe. It features a spaghetti Western guitar riff and a wonderful quacking bass clarinet from Robert Stillman. Lyrically, Yorke appears to be mocking politicians who say what their constituents want to hear.

“Eyes & Mouth” is my favorite song on the album—it’s a banger! It’s funky Radiohead. Lyrically, the song is a classic Radiohead theme of alienation and detachment.

“Don’t Get Me Started” is a slow and spooky-sounding song. Yorke seems to sing about being misunderstood.

“Tiptoe” is like listening to a sparse rehearsal (almost noodling). Then, an orchestra steps in. Finally, an angelic-sounding Yorke vocal enters the mix. Lyrically, I am not sure what Yorke is up to here, but it is bleak.

“The Slip” starts with sparse percussion, drums, and a synth-bass riff, setting a groove for Yorke to work his vocal magic. He sounds like the bastard love child of Bowie and Bono. The electric guitar is a delicious slice of pop rock. Lyrically, Yorke sings about climate change, nuclear war, and political disillusionment as politicians appear to have their heads in the sand.

“No Words” is The Smile’s version of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley”/“Eminence Front” – a great combination of guitar and electronica.

“Bodies Laughing” has an acoustic guitar and a 60s bossa nova vibe. After all the lyrical darkness, the feeling here is, “What the hell? Let’s at least have a good time in the dystopia.”

Overall, the vocals are amazing. Yorke shows a vast range of vocal styles, but always unmistakably Tom Yorke. The soundscape the band creates is quite diverse. The best thing about The Smile (besides, it is a backup to the fact Radiohead is on indefinite hiatus) is that Jonny is playing lots of guitar.