Albums to watch

Cutouts

The Smile

Cutouts

Third collaboration between Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner produced by Sam Petts-Davies and recorded in Oxford and Abbey Road Studios, London

ADM rating[?]

7.8

Label
XL
UK Release date
04/10/2024
US Release date
04/10/2024
  1. 10.0 |   musicOMH

    Third album from Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner is a stranger beast than its predecessors, finding them in playful and risky mood
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  2. 9.0 |   Clash

    A magnificent, playful, and positive return
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  3. 9.0 |   XS Noize

    Cutouts cement The Smile’s place as a serious, long-term project whose output is impressive in quantity and quality
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  4. 8.1 |   Spectrum Culture

    What it lacks in cohesion, Cutouts more than makes up for in displays of technical skill and layered textures that flesh out each composition in fascinating ways
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  5. 8.0 |   Pitchfork

    The Radiohead spinoff’s looser, funkier second album in nine months is a thrilling testament to the near-telepathic chemistry the three musicians have spent the last three years developing
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  6. 8.0 |   NME

    Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and drummer Tom Skinner return for more jazz-influenced, experimental rock and they seem to be having more fun than ever
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  7. 8.0 |   The FT

    The Radiohead frontman, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner combine for their second album in a year
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  8. 8.0 |   Under The Radar

    Cutouts is an exciting milestone for The Smile, showcasing a new ability to create a unified and emotionally rich album, while still drawing on the creative fertility and spontaneity fans have come to expect from this most productive of Yorke’s projects
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  9. 8.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    This is just a really enjoyable piece of work, full of beautiful sounds and inventive playing, addictive grooves and crackling atmospheres
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  10. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    Yorke’s elegantly ageing voice, impeccable musicianship and a bona-fide classic track make for another fine outing
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  11. 8.0 |   The Independent

    Who needs a Radiohead ‘reunion’ when the band’s side projects are as fruitful as this?
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  12. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    The trio’s second album this year is full of foreboding but the drumming of Sons of Kemet’s Tom Skinner continues to provide a different dynamic
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  13. 8.0 |   Evening Standard

    The Smile’s second album this year sees Thom York, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner get under the skin of contemporary malaise - and, yknow, play some good riffs
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  14. 8.0 |   Far Out

    There is hardly a moment here that isn’t less than spectacular
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  15. 7.9 |   Northern Transmissions

    You have to respect it as an earnest passion project and a much-needed reprieve. In this case, obsessive perfectionism can hinder progress and halt more frequent releases
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  16. 7.0 |   Slant Magazine

    The band’s third album maintains a healthy balance between its numerous styles
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  17. 7.0 |   All Music

    The high points make Cutouts every bit as worthy of devoted listening as the first two Smile albums
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  18. 7.0 |   DIY

    More of the same might seem a tad obvious a statement to make, but it’s just about the most accurate
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  19. 6.0 |   Exclaim

    The songs on Cutouts feel jammy and jazzy, and while the trio are of course experts at their craft, the instrumentation tends to meander
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  20. 6.0 |   The Arts Desk

    Its jazzy experimentalism militates against Thom Yorke’s trademark melancholy and fatalism
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