The Smile, consisting of multi-talents, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner just played an amazing Tiny Desk Concert.
Together the group performed three songs — “Pana-vision,” “The Smoke,” and “Skrting On the Surface.”
Thom Yorke and the band provide fans with a lighter and brighter performance in comparison to the darker, structured experience at the stadium shows. The group actually performed 4 songs but seemed disappointed by the performance of their second track which was cut from the final video.
Playing songs from their 2022 album, A Light for Attracting Attention, The Smile also released a live album titled The Smile at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022, which is streaming on all platforms.
Producer, Bob Boilen, made a few notes about his experience with The Smile – “They arrived early, along with saxophonist Robert Stillman, to test out several tunes and figure out just what made sense behind my desk — minus the volume and effects that shape the album’s sonic landscape. For roughly 90 minutes, the Tiny Desk crew was treated to a casual rehearsal, witnessing the band’s creative companionship work itself out, settling on four songs.
I generally crank up the volume when I listen to The Smile, but as the band settled into the opening song, “Pana-vision,” Thom Yorke’s fingers gently stroking the piano keys with his voice not much louder, I was drawn in; the mood felt simultaneously mysterious and welcoming with the bass, sax and drums punctuating the now surreal atmosphere.”
