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10.0
136083
10.0 |
The Irish Times
The alt.supergroup’s second album is a looser-sounding affair, with sombre echoes of Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool
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10.0
136093
10.0 |
The Skinny
The second studio album from The Smile – Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner – is a kaleidoscopic, mind-altering pronouncement
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10.0
136110
10.0 |
Dork
From its opening note to its last, ‘Wall of Eyes’ sets the bar sky-high for the music of 2024
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10.0
136112
10.0 |
The Independent
What began as a side-project is responsible for some of the best music Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood have made in years
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10.0
136116
10.0 |
Evening Standard
Still no sign of that elusive new Radiohead album, but it's hard to feel short-changed with a side project this brilliant
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10.0
136134
10.0 |
The Arts Desk
Its deceptively airy post-punk, electronica, and jazz melange might prove rock's ne plus ultra in 2024
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10.0
136182
10.0 |
The FT
roduced by Sam Petts-Davies rather than Radiohead mainstay Nigel Godrich, the musicianship is nuanced and expressive
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9.0
136140
9.0 |
musicOMH
As the interminable wait for a new Radiohead album goes on, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner are making music that is equally extraordinary
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9.0
136215
9.0 |
Spectrum Culture
Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood’s signature worldbuilding returns at long last on their streamlined follow-up to the Smile’s promising debut. It’s the pinnacle of escapism
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9.0
136442
9.0 |
Under The Radar
As good an effort as any Radiohead album, and rivals the work its members have done in other projects. It’s a complete joy to watch these artists work, for their creative expression is a treasure
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9.0
136084
9.0 |
Uncut
The Smile take Radiohead’s privileges seriously, rewarding our attention with music that demands and – crucially – holds it. No frills, no distractions. A little like Radiohead, then; but there’s nothing wrong with that. Print edition only
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9.0
136080
9.0 |
XS Noize
Wall of Eyes is a work of itself but could easily be an amuse-bouche for the next mind-blowing Radiohead album. Regardless of that occurring, Wall of Eyes is an enriching listening experience
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8.7
136125
8.7 |
Paste Magazine
Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner’s second LP is not just an addendum within Radiohead’s already iconic institution, it’s a divergence that allows them to side-step the behemoth of culture-shifting precedents that surround the band’s legacy with sweeping, symphonic directions
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8.5
136096
8.5 |
Northern Transmissions
With indiscriminate criticism of both society’s and the individual’s ills—and their potential to break free of the shackles of selfish desire—the Smile deliver another measured, thoughtful album with clear minds and clear intent
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8.5
136139
8.5 |
Pitchfork
Channeling jazz, kosmische, and prog, the Radiohead offshoot’s second album burrows deeper into their strangely enchanting appeal
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8.0
136192
8.0 |
PopMatters
The Smile’s second record jettisons the post-punk energy of their debut in favor of a cohesive statement that’s glacially paced and texturally dense
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8.0
136199
8.0 |
Record Collector
See review
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8.0
136202
8.0 |
Beats Per Minute
It sits comfortably in the middle of the vast catalogue of albums released by Radiohead and its members. It’s reassuring to hear that, 35 years after the start of their artistic journey, these musicians can still come up with compositions this elegant and exciting
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8.0
136143
8.0 |
Spill Magazine
Without a doubt, The Smile’s Wall Of Eyes is among the most thrilling and unique musical experiences you will hear this year
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8.0
136101
8.0 |
Rolling Stone
A lavishly gorgeous second LP. No one is going to convene a Deep Listening Consortium to unpack its meaning, and that’s part of the appeal. This music drifts, and we drift with it
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8.0
136104
8.0 |
NME
The second album from Radiohead members Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Sons of Kemet's Tom Skinner features some of their best work since 'In Rainbows'
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8.0
136081
8.0 |
The Guardian
Despite all the lyrical disquiet, there is a lovely sense of ease to the Smile’s second album – and some of the best music Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood have put their names to in at least a decade
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8.0
136082
8.0 |
The Observer
With strings and psychedelia added to the mix, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood’s ever-evolving side project feels as dynamic now as their day job
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8.0
136085
8.0 |
Mojo
All in all, less immediate and traditionally melodic than A Light…, Wall Of Eyes is one for the heads, revealing its many charms and details only upon repeated listens. Print edition only
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8.0
136129
8.0 |
DIY
For the most part this album is exactly what a side project should be – all the ideas too weird to fit anywhere else
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8.0
136136
8.0 |
Slant Magazine
The album’s skeletal beats seem to inspire a more minimalist approach to songwriting
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8.0
136119
8.0 |
All Music
Having proven themselves with Light, the Smile take more risks with this follow-up, resulting in a gorgeous, sometimes difficult trip into the unknown that, if only briefly, can make you forget about their main gig
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7.0
136189
7.0 |
No Ripcord
Navigating a less risk-averse path two albums in is the natural course to take, but it also sets a higher mark as they develop into, and this remains to be seen, an established act
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7.0
136079
7.0 |
Loud And Quiet
Faults and all, Wall of Eyes proves that The Smile are still the reigning champions of the side project game
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7.0
136141
7.0 |
Crack
Wall of Eyes is a refreshingly atypical work – one that takes The Smile into complex sonic spaces, without ever smothering the music’s emotional spark
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6.0
136132
6.0 |
Exclaim
Wall of Eyes is an album of background music, a cinematic compilation that feels like a collection of songs that just weren’t good enough to be on its predecessor. It’s too jammy, too undercooked, too unedited — an overextended comedown without the requisite high
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