The Smoke (song)
| "The Smoke" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by the Smile | ||||
| from the album A Light for Attracting Attention | ||||
| A-side | "You Will Never Work in Television Again" (double A-side 7" single) | |||
| Released | 27 January 2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:39 | |||
| Label | XL | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Nigel Godrich | |||
| The Smile singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "The Smoke" on YouTube | ||||
"The Smoke" is a song by the English rock band the Smile. It was released on 27 January 2022 as the second single from their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention.
Reception
Uproxx and The Fader said "The Smoke" was closer to the later of work of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's main band, Radiohead, than the Smile's previous single, "You Will Never Work in Television Again".[4][5] Earmilk favourably compared it to a demo by the Doors or Dizzy Gillespie from the early 1970s,[1] while Resident Advisor likened it to Fela Kuti.[6] Uncrate said Tom Skinner's drumming showcased funk and jazz influences.[7]
Music video
The video for "The Smoke" was shot on 16 mm film and directed by Mark Jenkin.[8] Rob Ulitski of Promonews said the video "doesn't conform to traditional narrative or promo logic, existing instead as a conceptual form to accompany the music".[9] Raphael Helfand of The Fader called the video "a loose interpretation" of a lyric video with "largely unintelligible" words.[5]
Release
"The Smoke" was released on 27 January 2022 as the second single from their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention.[10] A remix by the reggae musician Dennis Bovell was released on 3 March. Greenwood told The Quietus that Bovell's work "runs like a thread through so much of the music I love", and was proud he had remixed "The Smoke".[11]
Personnel
Credits adapted from album liner notes.[12]
The Smile
- Thom Yorke – vocals, bass
- Jonny Greenwood – guitar
- Tom Skinner – drums
Production
References
- ^ a b Salisbury, Mark (4 February 2022). "The Smile amp up the atmospherics on second single 'The Smoke'". Earmilk. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ Dombal, Ryan (12 May 2022). "The Smile: A Light for Attracting Attention". Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ Schonfeld, Zach (7 June 2022). "The 30 Best Albums of 2022 (So Far)". Spin. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
...while jittery art-rock outbursts like "The Smoke" and "Thin Thing" are clearly new creations, steeped in drummer Tom Skinner's off-kilter grooves.
- ^ Rossignol, Derrick (27 January 2022). "Thom Yorke And Jonny Greenwood's The Smile Drop The Groove-Driven New Single 'The Smoke'". Uproxx. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ a b Helfand, Raphael (27 January 2022). "The Smile add a dollop of funk to 'The Smoke'". The Fader. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ Okonkwo, Emeka (7 February 2022). "Groovy, low-gravity prog rock from Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ "The Smile / The Smoke". Uncrate. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ Childers, Chad (27 January 2022). "Thom Yorke + Jonny Greenwood Reveal The Smile's Second Single 'The Smoke'". Loudwire. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Ulitski, Rob (1 February 2022). "The Smile 'The Smoke' by Mark Jenkin". Promonews. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ DeVille, Chris (27 January 2022). "The Smile – 'The Smoke'". Stereogum. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Eede, Christian (3 March 2022). "Dennis Bovell Shares Remix Of The Smile's 'The Smoke'". The Quietus. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ The Smile (2022). A Light for Attracting Attention (liner notes). London, England: XL Recordings. FXL1196LP.