Photo courtesy of Self Help Tapes
The Smile have arrived with a new album, Wall of Eyes, which takes a Radiohead-like sound and takes it in a completely new direction. Wall of Eyes is the band’s second album, following their 2022 debut, A Light for Attracting Attention. The songs on “Wall of Eyes” incorporate art and experimental rock from the previous album, creating a unique atmosphere. A solid record.
The main theme of “Wall of Eyes” surrounds the fact that everyone, no matter how they express themselves, will be judged beforehand by a sea of people – a wall of eyes. This creates feelings of isolation and being misunderstood. Given that these concepts were conceived by Radiohead alumni Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, as well as The Smile’s Tom Skinner, it’s no surprise that Radiohead’s sombre themes are brought to life with another harrowing twist. perspective and reflects their status as established celebrities.
The title track “Wall of Eyes” introduces this idea with a beautifully plucked acoustic guitar, and has a moody sound to it. Although he stands still with a bright expression on his face, a disturbing feeling creeps up and attacks him. The song maintains its eerie tone and adds a keyboard crescendo that conveys the sense of discomfort in full force. But the sound is still resonating in the foreground, so the happy look of the eye wall remains undiminished.
The track “Teleharmonic” begins with the following lines: I don’t know. “Currently, the rift is acknowledged. “Teleharmonic” has the feeling of being lost at sea within the walls of the eye. It captures that emotion and isolates Yorke’s voice in a bubbling atmosphere of anxiety. The lyrics speak of being captured by “fishermen” and nailed for display in revenge. Yorke sings this song not out of fear, but out of acceptance. Given that the song is soft and easy to listen to, it’s clear that this perception is a comfortable cycle for Yorke.
“Read the Room” is where the album’s flaws begin to show. The first third of the song is the catchiest part of the entire album, with a four-note chord progression played with a relentlessness that shoots anger and fear into your eye walls. Yorke sings powerful lyrics that castigate the eyes in a passive-aggressive manner as being unfair to being a better human being. The song changes twice as the lyrics turn inward, with York challenging his eyes causing him to question himself and him being directly judged by his eyes.
These two variations within the experimental/art rock genre create two fascinating passages of music. My biggest issue with this is that the changeups are so jarring because they happen instantaneously instead of blending into each other. The same thing happens in “A Friend of a Friend,” but it’s not as unpleasant. “A Friend of a Friend” is a return to the gentle vibe introduced in the track “Wall of Eyes.” This song is the most gentle song on the album. Because while the eyewalls are still there, friends come out and help York confront them. This is a beautiful song about unity with sad notes about having to keep up appearances. Eye walls can also represent the comfort of having a loved one watching over you.
“I Quit” falls into the realm of acknowledging the pain. Here York’s eyes gave up on showing themselves to them. And he declares that he is going down a new path and accepts it wherever it takes him. This would be a beautiful and perfect closer, but not the last song on the album. The last track is called “You Know Me!” and luckily it’s definitely the best song on the entire album. It’s a perfect piano ballad that will make your brain tingle. Not only does this chord feel wrapped up and floating sweetly down a river on a spring night, but it also proclaims Yorke’s most ethereal voice on the entire album. Despite being so close to York, he talks about how some people don’t know York as well as they think they do. It seems as if his eyes have completely gone into his head. They are He will turn away from the people he cares about because he thinks they are his friends. However, there is a line that says he was literally stabbed in the back, which can be taken in both a literal and figurative sense.If it is In the literal sense, the traitor could have been someone close to him. Part of the eye examination wall.
This album marks a new creative direction for The Smile. The debut is groovier, more stylish and covers a wider range of genres, with ‘Wall of Eyes’ taking on a more centered structure and melodic swing. This album is for those who take the time to appreciate The Smile’s musical genius and their ability to make great music about dark themes, as well as long-time Radiohead fans like myself. Recommended.