Radiohead Offshoot The Smile Finally Announce New Album, Reveal Reflective ‘Free in the Knowledge’

The Smile first appeared on everyone's radar about a year ago when they made a surprise appearance via the Glastonbury livestream, debuting the band that includes Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood playing with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner. Now the trio are finally revealing plans for their debut album and dropping yet another new song in advance of the release.

A Light for Attracting Attention is the title of the forthcoming offering, which is now on the release schedule for a May 13 arrival via XL Recordings. And to coincide with the announcement, The Smile have revealed the video for the self-reflective new song "Free in the Knowledge."

It's a striking clip for the band with the Leo Leigh-directed video centering on a group of emotionally grief stricken men set to say goodbye to a loved one through a funeral pyre ceremony. The song itself is immersed in reflection upon one's own mortality, with Thom Yorke opening the track by singing, "Free in the knowledge / One day this will end / Free in the knowledge / Everything is changed."

The track was first performed by Thom Yorke as part of the Letters Live event at London’s Royal Albert Hall in December of 2021. That marked the first time that Yorke had performed live since the pandemic began, and he dedicated the track to all his fellow U.K. musicians. Get a closer look at the lyrics and video below and if you like what you hear, the song is available at this location.

The Smile, "Free in the Knowledge" Lyrics (Via Genius.com)

Free in the knowledge
One day this will end
Free in the knowledge
Everything is changed

And this is just a bad moment
Here we are fumbling around
We won’t get caught like that
Soldiers on our backs
We won’t get caught like that

Face using fear
To try to keep to keep control
But when we get together
Well then, who knows

And this is just a bad moment
We are fumbling around
We won’t get caught like that
Soldiers on our backs
We won’t get caught like that

I talk to the face in the mirror
But he can't get through
I said it's time that you deliver
'Cause we see through you
I talk to the face in the mirror
But he can't get through
Turns out we’re in this together
Both me and you

The Smile, "Free in the Knowledge"

As for the new album, the band revealed not only the artwork and track listing, but several additional players. Some of the songs include strings by the London Contemporary Orchestra, complete with a full brass section of contemporary U.K. players including Byron Wallen, Theon and Nathaniel Cross, Chelsea Carmichael, Robert Stillman and Jason Yarde. The band also called in frequent Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich to mix and produce the album.

So far, The Smile have served up an eclectic mix of material that has been well received and plays upon some of the strengths of Yorke and Greenwood's other Hall of Fame band. "You Will Never Work in Television Again" kicked things off as one of the harder tracks released so far, serving up a vitriolic comeback at a predatory offender. That was soon followed by the infinitely cool chilled out vibe of "The Smoke." Additional songs released ahead of the new album include the introspective "Skrting on the Surface" and the experimentally cinematic, piano-centric track "Pana-vision."

See the full track listing and artwork for the album below. Pre-orders are being taken at this location. The album will arrive digitally and on CD May 13, with a vinyl offering to follow on June 17. The group is also playing dates in Europe and the U.K. in May, June and July. Dates can be found here.

The Smile, A Light for Attracting Attention Album Artwork + Track Listing

The Same
The Opposite
You Will Never Work in Television Again
Pana-vision
The Smoke
Speech Bubbles
Thin Thing
Open the Floodgates
Free in the Knowledge
A Hairdryer
Waving a White Flag
We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings
Skrting on the Surface