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Wall of Eyes

Wall of Eyes is the second studio album by the English rock band the Smile, released on 26 January 2024 through XL Recordings. It was recorded in Oxfordshire and Abbey Road Studios, London, with the producer Sam Petts-Davies.

Wall of Eyes
Studio album by
the Smile
Released26 January 2024 (2024-01-26)
StudioAbbey Road
Genre
Length45:16
LabelXL
ProducerSam Petts-Davies
The Smile chronology
Europe: Live Recordings 2022
(2023) 		Wall of Eyes
(2024) 		Cutouts
(2024)
Singles from Wall of Eyes
  1. "Bending Hectic"
    Released: 20 June 2023
  2. "Wall of Eyes"
    Released: 13 November 2023
  3. "Friend of a Friend"
    Released: 9 January 2024

The Smile developed the songs while on tour for their first album, A Light for Attracting Attention (2022). After releasing the single "Bending Hectic" in June 2023, the Smile announced the album in November. They released singles for "Wall of Eyes" and "Friend of a Friend", with music videos directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

Wall of Eyes was named one of the year's best albums by several publications and entered the top ten of several national albums charts. The Smile began a tour of Europe in March 2024. A second album recorded during the same sessions, Cutouts, was released in October.

Recording

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The Smile are composed of the Radiohead members Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke with the drummer Tom Skinner.[1] While on tour for their first album, A Light for Attracting Attention (2022), they performed many new songs, including several future Wall of Eyes tracks.[2]

Whereas most of Yorke's previous work, including the previous Smile album, was produced by Nigel Godrich, Wall of Eyes was produced and mixed by Sam Petts-Davies.[2] Petts-Davies previously produced Yorke's 2018 soundtrack Suspiria.[2]

The Smile recorded Wall of Eyes in Greenwood's home studio in Oxfordshire and in Abbey Road Studios, London.[3][4] Yorke said that Abbey Road was the best studio in London, and lamented that it had a "touristy" element because of its association with the Beatles.[5] The strings were performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra.[1][6]

In March 2023, the Smile confirmed that they were seven weeks into recording.[7] In June, Greenwood said the album was about working within the limits of a three-person band, and that they were still working through a backlog of ideas generated during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

Music and lyrics

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According to BrooklynVegan, Wall of Eyes is more improvisational than A Light For Attracting Attention.[8] Stereogum wrote that it was "less explosive".[9] The opening track, "Wall of Eyes", features strummed acoustic guitar, strings and a samba-like rhythm in 5/4 time.[10] Stereogum described it as "light, lilting, insular" and "soft and graceful, with a growing sense of unease and discordance".[11] "Teleharmonic" combines "celestial vocals, soulful bass, rippling synth, and tumbling drums".[9] "Read the Room" is a "math-rock odyssey" with a motorik drum beat.[12][13] "Under our Pillows" culminates in an ambient drone.[14] Stereogum likened the piano song "Friend of a Friend" to the work of Randy Newman and Ben Folds, and likened the strings to the 1967 Beatles song "A Day in the Life".[9] "Bending Hectic" begins with detuned guitar and builds to a crescendo, with lyrics describing a car crash, a familiar subject for Yorke.[15][9][13]

The download for the 2009 Radiohead song "These Are My Twisted Words" contained a text file containing the phrase "Wall of Ice", triggering speculation that it was the title of an upcoming Radiohead EP.[2][16] The phrase "wall of eyes" later appeared in promotional materials for Radiohead's 2011 album The King of Limbs.[17] Responding to suggestions that the Wall of Eyes lyrics indicated that Radiohead had broken up, Greenwood said: "No, we would never write songs about ourselves, like that. There's a lot of history of bands doing it, and it just makes you shiver with embarrassment sometimes when you read those lyrics."[18]

Release

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The Smile at the Brighton Centre, March 2024

The Smile contributed a version of "Teleharmonic" to a 2022 episode of the television drama Peaky Blinders.[19] The first Wall of Eyes single, "Bending Hectic", was released on 20 June 2023.[20] Wall of Eyes was announced on 13 November, alongside the second single, "Wall of Eyes".[10] The "Wall of Eyes" music video was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and filmed at the Mildmay Club in London in October.[4] It has Yorke wandering through London, drinking alone in a pub, staring at a wall of eyeballs and sitting among dozens of versions of himself.[21] The third single, "Friend of a Friend", was released on 9 January 2024.[22]

From 19 January, the Smile held a series of screenings titled Wall of Eyes, on Film at independent cinemas around the world. The events included listening parties in surround sound; footage from the recording sessions; the premiere of Anderson's video for "Friend of a Friend"; and screenings of Anderson's previous videos with the Smile, Yorke and Radiohead.[22][5] The band members made a surprise appearance at the Prince Charles Cinema in London and answered questions from the audience.[5]

Wall of Eyes was released on 26 January 2024.[23] It was the UK's highest-selling vinyl in the week of its release.[24] The Smile began a European tour in March, including a performance at 6 Music Festival in Manchester with the London Contemporary Orchestra.[25] Their August tour was canceled after Greenwood was temporarily hospitalised with a serious infection.[26] A second album recorded during the Wall of Eyes sessions, Cutouts, was released on October 4th.[27]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.5/10[28]
Metacritic83/100[29]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [30]
Evening Standard     [31]
Exclaim!6/10[32]
The Guardian     [33]
The Independent     [34]
The Irish Times     [35]
NME     [36]
Pitchfork8.5/10[37]
Rolling Stone     [14]
Uncut9/10[38]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Wall of Eyes received "universal acclaim".[29] The Irish Times wrote that it had a "remarkable, sombre majesty" reminiscent of the 2016 Radiohead album A Moon Shaped Pool, and that Yorke and Greenwood had "delivered yet another classic".[35] The Guardian chief music critic, Alexis Petridis, chose it as his album of the week, writing that it was "imaginative and viscerally thrilling, one of the best things Yorke and Greenwood have put their names to in at least a decade".[33]

In Pitchfork, Jazz Monroe named Wall of Eyes the week's "best new music", writing that Yorke and Greenwood sounded more relaxed and had allowed their songwriting to absorb more influences.[37] Consequence picked "Wall of Eyes" as their song of the week, describing it as "dizzyingly danceable and easily enjoyable ... the sound of three boundless musicians with enough ideas to span several lifetimes".[10] In July, BrooklynVegan named Wall of Eyes one of their favourite albums of the year so far, writing: "It's a treat to hear music that doesn't sound so obsessed over from people who just exude talent ... As much as the more moody, ethereal songs sound like Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood at their finest, it's even more thrilling to hear the ways Wall of Eyes push them out of their usual comfort zones."[8]

In Stereogum, Chris DeVille wrote that Wall of Eyes "stands out for the way its songs resemble the outgrowth of a living organism rather than compositions pieced together". He described the Smile as a "fun phase" for Yorke and Greenwood, but expressed hope for a return for Radiohead and said the Smile demonstrated what the other Radiohead members contribute.[9]

Year-end lists

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Select year-end rankings for Wall of Eyes
Publication/critic Accolade Rank Ref.
Consequence 50 Best Albums of 2024 12 [39]
DIY Best Albums of 2024 20 [40]
The Independent The best albums of 2024, ranked 10 [41]
Louder Than War Top 100 Albums of 2024 10 [42]
Mojo 75 Best Albums of 2024 13 [43]
Mondo Sonoro Best International Albums of 2024 16 [44]
NME 50 Best Albums of 2024 25 [45]
Oor 20 Best Albums of 2024 14 [46]
BrooklynVegan 80 Best Albums of 2024 7 [47]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner.

Wall of Eyes track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Wall of Eyes"5:05
2."Teleharmonic"5:10
3."Read the Room"5:14
4."Under Our Pillows"6:14
5."Friend of a Friend"4:35
6."I Quit"5:32
7."Bending Hectic"8:03
8."You Know Me!"5:22
Total length:45:16

Personnel

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Credits adapted from album liner notes.[48]

Charts

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Chart performance for Wall of Eyes
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[49] 7
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[50] 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[51] 2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[52] 4
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[53] 42
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[54] 2
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[55] 1
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[56] 14
French Albums (SNEP)[57] 6
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[58] 4
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[59] 9
Irish Albums (OCC)[60] 2
Italian Albums (FIMI)[61] 12
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[62] 21
Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[63] 18
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[64] 23
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[65] 6
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[66] 40
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[67] 2
Scottish Albums (OCC)[68] 1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[69] 12
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[70] 49
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[71] 2
UK Albums (OCC)[72] 3
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[73] 2
US Billboard 200[74] 42
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[75] 5
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[76] 5
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[77] 7

References

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  1. ^ a b Geraghty, Hollie (13 November 2023). "The Smile announce new album Wall of Eyes and UK and European tour". NME. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Kreps, Daniel (13 November 2023). "Radiohead Side Project the Smile Return With New Album 'Wall of Eyes'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  3. ^ "BBC Radio 6 Music - New Music Fix, the Smile chat about new album Cutouts". BBC. 4 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b Lindert, Hattie (13 November 2023). "The Smile announce new album Wall of Eyes, share video for new songdirected by Paul Thomas Anderson". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Trendell, Andrew (19 January 2024). "The Smile dismiss the Beatles' influence and share advice for struggling creatives". NME. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  6. ^ "BBC Radio 6 Music - New Music Fix, the Smile chat about new album Cutouts". BBC. 4 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b Jones, Abby (16 June 2023). "Johnny Greenwood says the Smile "have a big backlog of ideas"". Consequence. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  8. ^ a b Sacher, Andrew (1 July 2024). "Our 40 favourite albums of 2024 so far". BrooklynVegan.
  9. ^ a b c d e DeVille, Chris (1 January 2024). "Premature Evaluation: The Smile Wall of Eyes". Stereogum. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Krueger, Jonah (17 November 2023). "The Smile's "Wall of Eyes" Is Our Song of the Week". Consequence. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  11. ^ Breihan, Tom (13 November 2023). "The Smile announce new album Wall of Eyes, Share Paul Thomas Anderson-directed video for title track". Stereogum. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  12. ^ Empire, Kitty (20 January 2024). "The Smile: Wall of Eyes review – agile, tuneful second album". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  13. ^ a b Oinonen, Janne (21 January 2024). "The Smile Wall of Eyes". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  14. ^ a b Dolan, Jon (23 January 2024). "The Smile Are More Than a Radiohead Side Hustle". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  15. ^ DeVille, Chris (20 June 2023). "The Smile share new single 'Bending Hectic': Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  16. ^ Montgomery, James (17 August 2009). "Radiohead Put Wall Of Ice EP Rumors To Rest, For Now". MTV. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  17. ^ Hudson, Alex (13 November 2023). "The Smile Announce Sophomore Album Wall of Eyes, Share Title Track". Exclaim!. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  18. ^ Ahad, Nick (30 January 2024). "Front Row — Jonny Greenwood of the Smile, the Artes Mundi prize winner". BBC Sounds. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  19. ^ St. Clair, Josh (30 June 2022). "The 'Peaky Blinders' Season 6 Soundtrack Is a Gothic Rock Opera". Esquire. Retrieved 23 November 2023 – via Yahoo Life.
  20. ^ Sacher, Andrew (20 June 2023). "The Smile release new single 'Bending Hectic'". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  21. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (13 November 2023). "Paul Thomas Anderson Directs Thom Yorke in Trippy 'Wall of Eyes' Music Video — Watch". IndieWire. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  22. ^ a b Corcoran, Nina (9 January 2024). "The Smile Share New Song 'Friend of a Friend', Announce Global Movie Theater Screenings". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  23. ^ Richards, Will (13 November 2023). "The Smile announce new album Wall of Eyes with Paul Thomas Anderson-directed video". Rolling Stone UK. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
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  25. ^ Harrison, Scoop (10 March 2024). "The Smile Perform with London Contemporary Orchestra: Setlist + Video". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  26. ^ Youngs, Ian (12 July 2024). "Jonny Greenwood: Radiohead guitarist treated in intensive care". BBC News. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  27. ^ Vito, Jo (28 August 2024). "The Smile Announce New Album Cutouts, Release Two Songs". Consequence. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  28. ^ "Wall of Eyes by The Smile (reviews)". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  29. ^ a b "Wall of Eyes by The Smile Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  30. ^ Yeung, Neil Z. "The Smile – Wall of Eyes Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  31. ^ Smyth, David (25 January 2024). "The Smile - Wall of Eyes album review: An experimental triumph". Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  32. ^ Djurdjic, Marko (24 January 2024). "The Smile's Wall of Eyes Feels Like a Comedown". Exclaim!. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  33. ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (18 January 2024). "The Smile: Wall of Eyes review – inventive Radiohead side project risks eclipsing the real thing". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  34. ^ Brown, Helen (25 January 2024). "The Smile: Wall of Eyes album review". The Independent. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  35. ^ a b Sweeney, Eammon (18 January 2024). "The Smile: Wall of Eyes – Another classic from Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  36. ^ Smith, Thomas (23 January 2024). "The Smile – Wall of Eyes review: a masterclass in pushing rock forward". NME. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  37. ^ a b Monroe, Jazz (25 January 2024). "The Smile: Wall of Eyes album review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  38. ^ Wallace, Wyndham (February 2024). "The Smile — Wall of Eyes". Uncut.
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  40. ^ "DIY's Albums of the Year 2024". DIY. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  41. ^ "The best albums of 2024, ranked". The Independent. 30 November 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  42. ^ Whittle, Nathan (4 December 2024). "Louder Than War Top 100 Albums of 2024". Louder Than War. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  43. ^ "MOJO's 75 Best Albums of 2024". Mojo. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  44. ^ "Mondo Sonoro: Best Albums of 2024". Mondo Sonoro. 4 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
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  46. ^ Door Oor (3 December 2024). "OOR's Eindlijst 2024: dit zijn de 20 beste albums van het jaar". Oor. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
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  49. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  50. ^ "Austriancharts.at – The Smile – Wall of Eyes" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  51. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Smile – Wall of Eyes" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  52. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Smile – Wall of Eyes" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
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  55. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Smile – Wall of Eyes" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  56. ^ "The Smile: Wall of Eyes" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  57. ^ "Lescharts.com – The Smile – Wall of Eyes". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  58. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Smile – Wall of Eyes" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
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  60. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
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  62. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2024-02-05/p/3" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  63. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Digital Albums: 5 February 2024" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  64. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of January 31, 2023". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  65. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  66. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 26.01.2024–01.02.2024 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  67. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – The Smile – Wall of Eyes". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  68. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  69. ^ "100 Albums weekly". PROMUSICAE. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  70. ^ "Veckolista Album, vecka 5". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
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  73. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
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