Cutouts

The third album from the Radiohead-affiliated trio the Smile appeared during the same year as the second, and the songs included on Cutouts were actually recorded during the same sessions as previous effort Wall of Eyes, with producer Sam Petts-Davies. Several tracks on Cutouts had been performed live by the band since their early shows in 2021 and 2022 and were conspicuously absent from their first two records. All of this, as well as the title, might make it seem like Cutouts is an album of leftovers and outtakes, but it's obvious that the trio have an abundance of ideas, and they're able to shape them into another statement that stands up to the first two. The album finds the group slightly expanding their sound by incorporating more electronics. Opener "Foreign Spies" is an ambient lullaby with gentle synths cushioning Thom Yorke's feather-light vocals, eventually gaining chiming melodies that subtly hint at a suspenseful mood. The London Contemporary Orchestra's strings bloom during the patiently unwinding "Instant Palm." Then the group kick into gear with the angular groove of "Zero Sum," which falls somewhere between DFA-style dance-punk and a more restrained black midi. Well-timed saxophones join the web-like guitar lines and a deeply satisfying bassline, as Yorke curiously makes references to Windows 95. "Colours Fly" is dark, winding prog-rock that still tracks a steady path, even with oblong time signatures, and the way Yorke's voice calls out "you can change your mind" makes it seem like the group is tunneling through a cave. Tom Skinner's drumming on "Eyes & Mouth" channels Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen, while Yorke's vocals shine under the spotlight as eerie backing vocals create a tense atmosphere. "The Slip" also employs complex polyrhythms, with softly ticking drum machines and vibrating synth bass layered along with Skinner's constantly evolving beats. Yorke's characteristically intriguing lyrics evoke a black hole at the center of the galaxy, as he warns of nuclear destruction at the hands of world leaders. The breezy yet anxious "No Words" seems to be directed at spineless Internet trolls and "click monkeys" who contribute nothing positive to society. Even though Cutouts was conceived at the same time as Wall of Eyes, it's clearly a separate entity and a progression for the band. The average track time on this album is much shorter, so it doesn't have as much of the sprawl of their previous work, making it slightly more accessible. If there's any bone to pick, it's that some of the slower, more atmospheric numbers don't quite gel as well as the rest of the tracks. Still, the high points make Cutouts every bit as worthy of devoted listening as the first two Smile albums. ~ Paul Simpson