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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
The question whether Radiohead will follow up A Moon Shaped Pool any time soon becomes a lot less important upon hearing A Light for Attracting Attention. The Smile have released the best album of 2022 so far.
90
A Light for Attracting Attention amplifies that we don’t know what tomorrow will bring for the entity that is Radiohead. But regardless of the future path of Radiohead, The Smile has much to attract attention and is worthy of any serious music aficionado’s consideration.
7mo
90
‘A Light for Attracting Attention’ is a magnificent record by once in a generation musicians. It’s an album to make you more than smile.
90
If Radiohead's hiatus is looking increasingly permanent,then The Smile will do very nicely.
90
The gang is still here, in 2022, in their bloody element, vindicated. Duty-bound to release yet another exquisite evocation of the human condition and uplift our weary spirits with a smile.
86
The debut from Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and drummer Tom Skinner’s new group is instantly, unmistakably the best album yet by a Radiohead side project.
86
A Light For Attracting Attention stands proudly on its own merits as a top-tier piece of art rock, connections to a certain critically and publicly acclaimed band aside.
85
The Smile’s looser creative approach offers a new light and welcoming side to Yorke and Greenwood, all while showcasing the enduring creative chemistry behind two of their generation’s most celebrated musicians.
85
After over a decade of focused projects, each technically interesting but lacking the full Radiohead cohesivity, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood along with drummer Tom Skinner and producer Nigel Godrich have finally borne the fruits of the skills they honed through the 2010s in one dazzling project.
83
For now, A Light for Attracting Attention is a versatile beacon for Yorke and Greenwood’s groovier side, and a remarkably assured debut that—let’s be honest—doesn’t really feel like a debut at all.
83
In 2022, the feeling that we’re living in a broken, corrupt system is practically mainstream, and The Smile’s by turns rugged and reflective album provides a perfect soundtrack for these anchorless times.
80
The Radiohead side project most likely to be mistaken for Radiohead brings together Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Sons Of Kemet’s Tom Skinner.
80
It all feels remarkably familiar, but given the record’s pedigree, that’s far from a bad thing.
80
The Smile aren’t a full-on syncretism of Radiohead and Sons of Kemet, but A Light for Attracting Attention proves that it needn’t be.
80
Diehards should be quite pleased with this release: an utterly satisfying set of songs that stands tall on its own, yet could easily climb the ranks against any of Radiohead's late-era efforts.
80
Whatever the label says, this is the best Radiohead album in over a decade.
80
Far more than an indulgent side project, A Light for Attracting Attention deserves to be taken on its own merits as a daring, invigorating and often very moving piece of work in its own right.
80
A Light For Attracting Attention is a master-stroke of dystopic genius brought together by proven elites of the music world. It’s a real experiment.
80
The debut album from Thom Yorke’s latest side project finds him in excellent voice, on tracks that veer from spiky post-punk to teasingly romantic.
80
Overall ... this is guitar music at its most thrilling.
80
Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Sons Of Kemet’s Tom Skinner cut loose on this curious and energetic supergroup romp.
80
It seems this three-piece format allows him to manoeuvre more nippily than Radiohead's stately battleship.
80
Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood team with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner for a debut that may not be head-spinningly different, but is still exceptional.
80
Whether you’re chomping at the bit for a new Radiohead album, or simply want to listen to some wonderfully executed and experimental alternative rock, this is a record worthy of your time.
80
Radiohead’s songwriting nucleus team with jazz drummer Tom Skinner on ‘A Light for Attracting Attention,’ a lower-stakes, jammy album with some of their most straightforward songs in years.
80
It's too familiar-sounding to be revelatory, but six years on from A Moon Shaped Pool — the longest-ever break between Radiohead albums — it's a pleasure to hear Yorke and Greenwood's talent undiminished as they hit the sweet spot of their sound.
80
It wouldn’t be that hard to mistake A Light For Attracting Attention for the long-awaited follow-up to 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool, however. What’s more, it would be a worthy successor, too.
"Radiohead-lite is still better than most bands"
-JDX_99 on RateYourMusic
I can't see myself ever caring enough to sit down and listen to this whole album again, but it was a fine listen while I was here. Most of these tracks sound amazing, but have almost no substance from Thom. Not much reason for me to return honestly.
Still... better than the Chainsmokers
Edit (69 -> 71): I am actually mad this grew on me a bit because these 2 points I give this for the few moments growing ... read more
Radiohead with a better drummer
For real guys, this is just as good as any amazing Radiohead album but with a slightly harder emphasis on math rock and krautrock. So basically everything I love.
I want to eat the album cover
YO FUCK YEA this wasn’t underwhelming I’m so happy. Radiohead is easily one of my favorite bands, and Thom Yorke is a huge part of that, so of course I was excited to hear what he had planned for The Smile. Honestly with some of the singles I was real worried this would be kinda meh but man the deep cuts did a great job at making this album more consistent. Even if every song isn’t the best there are some incredibly good moments here. I love how ... read more
eh... idk. Maybe it'll grow on me.
-
Edit: it grew on me. what was I smoking? 63 → 87
This album is beautiful. Not a single bad track on this thing. I love the drumming on the record and there's some great basslines here as well. "Free In the Knowledge" is one of the best tracks I've heard from 2022. Indescribable, to be honest. I do find the track "The Opposite" to be incredibly underrated- it's one of my favorites off of this album, I just think it's quite groovy ... read more
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Track List
| 1 | The Same 4:19 | 82 |
| 2 | The Opposite 3:06 | 82 |
| 3 | You Will Never Work In Television Again 2:48 | 82 |
| 4 | Pana-Vision 4:08 | 83 |
| 5 | The Smoke 3:39 | 86 |
| 6 | Speech Bubbles 4:16 | 86 |
| 7 | Thin Thing 4:30 | 87 |
| 8 | Open the Floodgates 4:29 | 85 |
| 9 | Free In the Knowledge 4:12 | 90 |
| 10 | A Hairdryer 5:17 | 81 |
| 11 | Waving a White Flag 3:47 | 78 |
| 12 | We Don't Know What Tomorrow Brings 3:16 | 86 |
| 13 | Skrting On the Surface 5:31 | 86 |
Total Length: 53 minutes
Year End Lists
| #1 | / | Uncut |
| #1 | / | XS Noize |
| #2 | / | MAGNET |
| #2 | / | Norman Records |
| #2 | / | OOR |
| #2 | / | Rough Trade (UK) |
| #3 | / | PopMatters |
| #3 | / | Spectrum Culture |
| #4 | / | The Sunday Times |
| #4 | / | Vulture |
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1w
Why does this album sound like a Radiohead b-sides compilation until Speech Bubbles, when it suddenly dramatically increases in quality??
2w
1. Kid A
2. In Rainbows
3. A Moon Shaped Pool
4. Amnesiac
5. OK Computer
6. The Bends
7. Hail to the Thief
8. A Light for Attracting Attention
9. The King of Limbs
10. Pablo Honey
Praying Wall of Eyes ends up being at least better than Hail to the Thief, I have a lot of faith in this new side project
2. In Rainbows
3. A Moon Shaped Pool
4. Amnesiac
5. OK Computer
6. The Bends
7. Hail to the Thief
8. A Light for Attracting Attention
9. The King of Limbs
10. Pablo Honey
Praying Wall of Eyes ends up being at least better than Hail to the Thief, I have a lot of faith in this new side project
Added on: March 19, 2022