While there are undoubtedly legions of Radiohead fans who would prefer to be seeing them above all other acts regardless of the circumstances, The Smile is a treat to be savored. The newly formed trio features Radiohead masterminds Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood backed by Tom Skinner, drummer for the cult progressive jazz outfit Sons of Kemet. The idea of injecting jazz-rooted precision into the musical vision of two of rock music’s most enigmatic figures can lead to special things, as can be heard on their 2022 debut A Light for Attracting Attention. The group has spent a chunk of this year supporting that album, and on Wednesday, December 14th, they put this new project on display for a long sold-out crowd at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon.
Cliché or not, Yorke did appear to be all smiles as he warmly greeted the audience and opened the set with the ambient tune “The Same” which found the moody bass line intermingling with the Moog synthesizer to complement the vocals. As one might have expected, the bulk of the songs played over the course of the tight 90-minute set came from A Light for Attracting Attention with a small handful of even newer songs included to signal that The Smile is more than a one-off endeavor. There appeared to many times the number of roadies as musicians, and part of the pleasure of the performance came from trying to count how many different instruments Yorke and Greenwood cycled through as they both switched between guitar and bass. Backed by the almost surgical skills of Skinner on drums, Yorke and Greenwood captured many of Radiohead’s best attributes while also reminding the audience that The Smile is something entirely in its own league. One might be inclined to generally call their music post-rock, but that would be too simple. In Portland, they offered a measured complexity with layer upon layer of sonic textures while Yorke still delivered his signature melodic vocals.
It should be said that there were zero dull moments of the entire show, but there were also some true standouts. Talking Heads-meets-hip-hop-versed “The Opposite” gave way to the dreamy and vocally gorgeous “Speech Bubbles” with its soft synth and Greenwood eventually playing piano and harp at the same time. He donned a bowstring on his bass to accentuate the cacophony of haunting sounds that introduced the edgy rocker “A Hairdryer” before the band careened into one of the coolest song intros of the night on “Waving a White Flag” with a 70s sci-fi-esque score and Yorke looking almost giddy as he led the band into spooky territory. “Under Our Pillows” showcased Greenwood’s genius guitar wizardry that culminated with one of the most psychedelic, entrancing solos of the night only to be followed by the space age Afrobeat sound of “Just Eyes and Mouth” and Greenwood bringing the audience back into his labyrinth of guitar jamming on “Skrting on the Surface.” “People On Balconies” felt like an R&B departure with some of Yorke’s strongest vocals, and “The Smoke” displayed his two-pronged attack of funky bass and smooth falsetto that saw the band leaning back into the Afrobeat influence. They would wrap the set in fine fashion with the urgent post-punk tune “You Will Never Work in Television Again.”
Following the jaw-dropping performance that easily solidified their place as one of the coolest, most compelling acts in rock music right now, The Smile returned to the stage for a three-song encore that featured some of the most triumphant moments of the show. “Open the Floodgates” was followed by “Bending Hectic,” perhaps the most arena-worthy rock tune of the night, before closing with the Thom Yorke solo song “Feeling Pulled Apart by Horse” that was repurposed from a Radiohead demo and in this setting given a titillating guitar jam that felt like cascading keyboard sounds.
With a smaller lineup and narrower musical focus than Radiohead’s expansive art rock, one might have thought The Smile would somehow deliver something more simplistic. This was not the case in Portland as the band gave the crowd a mesmerizing set of new musical possibilities that felt like the burgeoning of a new chapter in the Radiohead universe. It remains to be seen if they will graduate to larger venues, but their sound, light show, and performance certainly make them worthy.
