The Smile - Wall of Eyes
The Smile has crafted a masterpiece capable of uniting Radiohead enthusiasts and newcomers alike in a shared appreciation for sonic innovation.
By: Sam Eeckhout
Wall of Eyes stands as a proud monument looking down on The Smile's unwavering creativity and boundless potential—an album that transcends genre boundaries and leaves an indelible mark on the musical quilt of 2024.
In their sophomore endeavor, Wall of Eyes, The Smile transcends the confines of conventional sound, sculpting an auditory experience that is as entrancing as it is exploratory.
Departing from the rugged rock riffs of their debut album, the band delves into softer, slower territories, inviting listeners on a journey of patience. It is one giant meditative inhale and exhale. Gone are the head-nodding bare rock grooves like "The Smoke" and "You Will Never Work In Television Again" - replaced by free-form, jazz-like navigation and progressive rock.
Instead, Wall of Eyes embraces a holistic, organic approach to composition. Each track feels like a spontaneous creation, as if the band hit record during the writing of each song and never needed to go back to overcomplicate things.
That's the unmistakable sense of instinctuality coursing through the album, a feeling that The Smile allowed their creativity to flow freely without the constraints of overthinking.
At the heart of Wall of Eyes lies its accessibility, a deliberate choice to elongate songs and grant them the space to breathe and evolve. This decision proves to be a masterstroke, as each composition becomes a living, breathing entity, a living organism with its own goals in life.
The throbbing and radiating "Teleharmonic" embodies this on the second track into Wall of Eyes, as if the trio of musicians are simply creating a path for the song to create its own momentum - guiding it to reach its own great potential.
It will be impossible for Thom Yorke not to sound like Thom Yorke. So yes, there will inevitably be subconscious similes to Radiohead. However, unlike A Light For Attracting Attention, which felt at times to plant an obvious and obligatory difference of ideas from The Smile vs. Radiohead, Wall of Eyes finds a happy medium.
"Friend of a Friend" epitomizes the album's allure, showcasing Thom Yorke's trademark vocals and musical instincts through a mesmerizing journey of delicately building piano melodies (played by Greenwood) with tricky time signatures (I promised myself I wouldn't bring up Pyramid Song) to grandiose (and this is grandiose underlined and bolded) string arrangements.
Meanwhile, "Bending Hectic" pulsates with an infectious guitar sprinkle that accelerates, albeit marred slightly by a jarring, distorted guitar finale—an unexpected detour in an otherwise seamless album.
However, it's in the haunting depths of "Read the Room" where Wall of Eyes truly shines. With its eerie, janky, free-form jazz aesthetic and emotive undertones, the track serves as a true and proper introduction to drummer Tom Skinner's virtuosity. From intricate drum rolls to delicate cymbal work, Skinner weaves his own spellbinding narrative, drawing listeners in, bit by bit, into a climactic and spectacular cadence.
As the album draws to a close, one can't help but ponder the future trajectory of The Smile. Perhaps Wall of Eyes marks the culmination of their musical odyssey, a magnum opus that leaves audiences enraptured and yearning for more. Maybe this is album two of fifteen. Regardless of what lies ahead, one thing remains abundantly clear—The Smile has crafted a masterpiece capable of uniting Radiohead enthusiasts and newcomers alike in a shared appreciation for sonic innovation.
In the end, Wall of Eyes stands as a proud monument looking down on The Smile's unwavering creativity and boundless potential—an album that transcends genre boundaries and leaves an indelible mark on the musical quilt of 2024. As the final notes and quintessential Yorke falsettos fade into the ether, one can't help but feel grateful for their journey, which culminates in an absolute high note of artistic brilliance.
