Song of the Week is Consequence‘s weekly series that highlights the latest and greatest new tunes. Find these newfavorites and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for other great songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, The Smile return with a deceptively complex, plainly beautiful new jam.
Since making their debut last year, Radiohead offshoot The Smile have kept busy. Following an introductory slew of singles and their first full-length, A Light for Attracting Attention, the trio has issued two live albums, kept up a rigorous touring schedule (get tickets to their upcoming tour here), and even stopped by a particularly famous desk. Now, just as Jonny Greenwood promised Consequence in June, the act is already back with the announcement for their sophomore LP, Wall of Eyes, dropping the title track as the new set’s second teaser.
Upon first listen, “Wall of Eyes” comes across like a dreamy, samba-like jam, complete with softly strummed acoustic guitar chords, irregular auxiliary percussion, and string embellishments. It’s a sonic landscape reminiscent of the song’s cover art: surreal, baron, and beautiful. All the while, Thom York’s voice delicately prances over top the instrumentation, resulting in a combination of sounds that’s utterly hypnotic.
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Then, in the second half, the tune reveals its complexity. Backing vocals from York begin to count from one to five, and all of a sudden it becomes clear — the song is in syncopated 5/4 time. And yet, somehow, the tune is far from a heady math-rock ripper. Thanks to the tight performances, creative production decisions, and jaw-dropping melodies, the tune remains dizzyingly danceable and easily enjoyable. It’s kinda like sneaking vegetables into brownies.
The deceptively peaceful world of “Wall of Eyes” eventually comes under attack, as achromatic, arrhythmic electric guitar lines infiltrate the shuffling rhythm. It’s very Yorkian, extremely Greenwood-esque, and held together by invisible hand of Tom Skinner. Ultimately, it’s the sound of three boundless musicians with enough ideas to span several lifetimes. Keep ’em coming, boys, keep ’em coming.
— Jonah Krueger
Editorial Coordinator
