Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood have once again teamed up with jazz drummer Tom Skinner for their second release under the moniker, The Smile. Wall of Eyes is a moody, atmospheric listen that incorporates electronics and prog-like moments through its 45 minutes. A warm sound envelopes the title track with echoey drums that sound like they are played through pillows. Guitars appear from the onset of “Read the Room” with its indie rock sound and military drumming. The guitars go from art rock to 70s rock on the outro with Yorke’s spacey vocals.
The piano of “Friend of a Friend” brings a new dimension to the sound as Yorke sings about Italians during COVID appearing to sing/talk on their balconies. The cold breeze returns on “I Quit”, a softly sung track with a defiant stance. “I quit… this is my stop/this is the end of the trip”, is sung over a bed of sounds like obscured traffic horns with muffled beats and the added tension of a string section.
Emblematic of Wall of Eyes is the doom laden yet dreamy 8 minute “Bending Hectic”, a song about driving over the cliff in the Italian country side. For its beautiful moments, icy stares, and warmly sung songs of death – The Smile have delivered an album to dive deep into and then disappear completely.
8/10
The Light Appears 
Thanks for introducing me to this music, Michael. I see what you mean about the piano in “Friend of a Friend.” I enjoyed it… the kids in the theatre seemed into it as well!