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	Progressive rock[1] funk[2]
Length	3:39
Label	XL
Songwriter(s)	Jonny Greenwood Nigel Godrich Thom Yorke Tom Skinner
Producer(s)	Nigel Godrich
The Smile singles chronology
"You Will Never Work in Television Again" (2022) "The Smoke" (2022) "Skrting on the Surface" (2022)
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

Both Uproxx[3] and The Fader[4] noted the song was more in line with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's main band Radiohead's later work than the Smile's previous single, "You Will Never Work in Television Again", with Uproxx calling the song "a groove-driven single". Earmilk favourably compared to a demo by the Doors or Dizzy Gillespie from the early 1970s,[1] while Resident Advisor likened it to Fela Kuti.[5] Uncrate said Tom Skinner's drumming "showcases some funk/jazz-infused stylings".[6]

Music video

The video for "The Smoke" was shot on 16 mm film and directed by BAFTA Award-winning writer and director Mark Jenkin.[7] Rob Ulitski of Promonews said Jenkin's video "doesn't conform to traditional narrative or promo logic, existing instead as a conceptual form to accompany the music".[8] Raphael Helfand of The Fader called the video "a loose interpretation of a 'lyric video'" with "largely unintelligible" words.[4]

Release

"The Smoke" was released on 27 January 2022 as the second single from their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention.[9] A remix by Dennis Bovell was released on 3 March. Greenwood told The Quietus: "Dennis's work runs like a thread through so much of the music I love. I'm more proud than I can say that he's done a dub mix of our song 'The Smoke'."[10]

Personnel

Credits adapted from album liner notes.[11]

The Smile

• Thom Yorke – vocals, bass
• Jonny Greenwood – guitar
• Tom Skinner – drums

Production

• Nigel Godrich

References

1. Salisbury, Mark (4 February 2022). "The Smile amp up the atmospherics on second single 'The Smoke'". Earmilk. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
2. Dombal, Ryan (12 May 2022). "The Smile: A Light for Attracting Attention". Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
3. 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.
4. Helfand, Raphael (27 January 2022). "The Smile add a dollop of funk to 'The Smoke'". The Fader. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
5. Okonkwo, Emeka (7 February 2022). "Groovy, low-gravity prog rock from Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
6. "The Smile / The Smoke". Uncrate. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
7. Childers, Chad (27 January 2022). "Thom Yorke + Jonny Greenwood Reveal The Smile's Second Single 'The Smoke'". Loudwire. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
8. Ulitski, Rob (1 February 2022). "The Smile 'The Smoke' by Mark Jenkin". Promonews. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
9. DeVille, Chris (27 January 2022). "The Smile – 'The Smoke'". Stereogum. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
10. Eede, Christian (3 March 2022). "Dennis Bovell Shares Remix Of The Smile's 'The Smoke'". The Quietus. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
11. The Smile (2022). A Light for Attracting Attention (liner notes). London, England: XL Recordings. FXL1196LP.