Watch: The Smile Allure On Syncopated Tiny Desk Concert

January 3, 2023
Watch: The Smile Allure On Syncopated Tiny Desk Concert

Today, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert shared a performance by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner as The Smile. The clip clocked in at just under 15 minutes and included three tracks from their debut LP, A Light For Attracting Attention: “Pana-vision” “The Smoke” and “Skrting On the Surface.”

The Smile were joined by saxophonist Robert Stillman for the sonic showcase, which opened with a lo-fi rendition of “Pana-vision” with Yorke’s whispering vocals aligning with his gentle playing on the piano. After the transcendent song wrapped, Yorke greeted the office and was handed a guitar, while his Radiohead bandmate was handed a bass. However, for the second tune, “The Smoke,” the two had swapped instruments, and according to the video description, they had recorded another song before, ” but it didn’t make the final cut; they weren’t happy with their performance.”

During “The Smoke,” Skinner and Yorke locked into a consistent rhythm that Greenwood would add flair to before Yorke’s poetic vocals and Stillman’s saxophone set the song aflame, forcing the room to fill with sonic smoke. The performance ended with “Skrting On the Surface” a delicate song doused with pining vocal runs and dreary musical passages, utterly beautiful.

Watch the performance below.