The Smile
Cutouts
XL Recordings [2024]
“Expansive, intricate, and atmospheric—Cutouts showcases The Smile’s ever-growing creative reach.”
Album Overview: Cutouts, the third album from The Smile, arrives suddenly, expanding on the trio’s evolving sound. Released not long after Wall of Eyes in January 2024, Cutouts features 10 tracks produced by Sam Petts-Davies and recorded in both Oxford and Abbey Road Studios, overlapping with the sessions for Wall of Eyes. The London Contemporary Orchestra contributes beautifully intricate string arrangements, while the album artwork is painted by Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke. This record feels like the natural next step for the band, blending their wide array of influences into something distinctly atmospheric and immersive. Compared to their previous albums, Cutouts leans more heavily into subtle textures and ambient moments, inviting listeners into a deeper, layered experience. It’s an album that grows on you—revealing its seamless beauty over time and rewarding those who let it fully unfold in their minds.
Musical Style: The Smile’s music blends elements of experimental rock, jazz, electronic, and orchestral arrangements, resulting in layered compositions. On Cutouts, these influences continue to combine, enhanced by string sections and ambient undertones. It also features some fantastic fiery moments, like the frantic guitar in “Zero Sum.”
Evolution of Sound: With Cutouts, The Smile moves toward an even more expansive musical palette, integrating live orchestral components and furthering their experimental edge. The new album continues themes from their earlier work, yet adds new dimensions through live arrangements that blur the boundaries between rock and avant-garde soundscapes.
Artists with Similar Fire: Fans of Radiohead will undoubtedly embrace The Smile, not only because of the overlap in personnel but also due to the similar energy, even with the much shorter creation period. Cutouts also recalls elements of Portishead’s haunting atmospheres and Black Country, New Road’s intricate arrangements. The combination of genres and textures places The Smile alongside these artists, especially in terms of experimental spirit and dynamic compositions.
Pivotal Tracks: “Foreign Spies” opens the album and stands out with its complex instrumentation, while “Zero Sum” offers an exploration of layered rhythmic interplay that sticks with you. Coming after two slower pieces, this under-three-minute track could be one of my favorites across all their albums. “Don’t Get Me Started” is another key track, previously released as part of a limited-edition single, providing a compelling look into the themes and sounds central to the album. The upbeat intensity near the end of the record with “No Words” is captivating, while the closing “Bodies Laughing” is hauntingly gorgeous. Each of these tracks showcases the band’s continually expanding creative range and provides insight into the overarching narrative of Cutouts.
Lyrical Strength: Cutouts features lyrics focused on introspection and social commentary, maintaining the thoughtful and nuanced tone seen in The Smile’s earlier work. The themes often center on the complexities of human interaction, offering a subtle critique of societal issues in a typically Thom Yorke fashion.
THE SMILE REVIEW HISTORY
Wall Of Eyes (2024) / A Light For Attracting Attention (2022)
RADIOHEAD PROJECTS REVIEW HISTORY
Philip Selway: Strange Dance (2023) / Kid A Mnesia (2021) / A Moon Shaped Pool (2016) / Thom Yorke: Anima (2019) / Thom Yorke: Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes (2014) / EOB: Earth (2020)
THE SMILE LINKS
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp | XL Recordings
- The Smile: Cutouts [Album Review] - October 3, 2024
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