The Smile’s ‘Cutouts’: Where Jazz Meets Unconventional Rock

Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner return with their latest release as The Smile, continuing to explore jazz-infused, experimental rock in ways that feel freer and more playful than ever before.

For fans of Radiohead, following the evolution of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood’s side projects is nothing new. Radiohead has a history of debuting unreleased material live, sometimes leaving fans in suspense for years before official releases. One notable example is “True Love Waits,” which hovered in limbo for over two decades before finally appearing on A Moon Shaped Pool in 2016.

Since that album, Radiohead hasn’t released new material, leaving a gap that Yorke and Greenwood filled by forming The Smile with jazz drummer Tom Skinner, known for his work with Sons of Kemet. Their two previous albums, A Light For Attracting Attention (2022) and Wall of Eyes (released earlier this year), positioned The Smile as a more experimental, jazz-driven counterpart to their main band.

Cutouts, the group’s latest album, continues in this vein, featuring tracks that have been introduced to fans during live performances. The song “Zero Sum” stands out with its jittery guitar lines, sharp percussion, and Yorke’s sardonic lyrics. His playful reference to “Windows 95” adds a tongue-in-cheek touch to a track that critiques big tech, all while embodying the distinctive, unconventional vibe fans expect from the trio.

This album pushes The Smile’s experimental boundaries further without the weight of Radiohead’s established legacy. Recorded at Oxford and Abbey Road Studios alongside Wall of Eyes, Cutouts has a lighter, more adventurous tone. Tracks like “Instant Psalm” channel influences from The Beatles’ foray into Indian classical music, while “The Slip” incorporates funk guitars and a groovy bassline, complementing Yorke’s relaxed, almost playful delivery.

While Cutouts doesn’t present any sweeping thematic declarations, it reflects The Smile’s ease within their sound. With Radiohead reportedly back in rehearsals, it remains to be seen whether The Smile will continue on their current path or if this trio will once again reinvent their creative output. Either way, their exploration of new musical territory shows no signs of slowing down.