Calliope Music Review of the Week
The Smile - Wall of Eyes
Dulcet Murmurs Make Peace of a Chaotic World
Soft percussion finds comfort in brittle acoustics, whistling woodwind, swelling string sections, and sleek basslines. Off-kilter guitar and an eerie air of phasing synthesizers contribute to a spectral top-end atmosphere, as velvety bass and flush kicks keep the sound grounded in reality. An ethereal layering of guitar, synths, and singer, Thom Yorke's signature falsetto embodies a sophisticated harmony throughout.
Despite the titular theme of an ever-watching and omniscient modern day society, Wall of Eyes is an album that can underwhelm at a glance. A few passages meander a little too long in their bizarre environments, yet the handsomeness of the record is in its subtlety. Slow builds of rising piano, glitching guitar, sinister harmonics, and curious narratives are heavily restrained. This restraint alongside precise progression shifts and a surprising cleanliness in abstruse movement leads to an oddly smooth suspense. This suspension in the unknown is made ever so comfortable until ascending orchestral arrangements or fizzy guitar takes off in sparkling fashion.
Each track its own story of meaning in an ever changing landscape of social and demographic chaos, the three-piece band find themselves questioning it all on the penultimate track, 'Bending Hectic.' A purely captivating eight minutes incurs as crystalline guitar flutters, velvet bass calms, and Yorke wallows before an eruption of distortion and a searing guitar solo finally release the anxiety built up throughout the 45 minute record.
Not every track shares such a powerful moment or as impactful a progression, but the overall sound palette and daydreaming atmosphere fill the ear with much to appreciate. In the end, The Smile may not have any answers, but their beautiful approach to subtlety is an alluring solace in a pool of mayhem.
Best Tracks: Wall of Eyes -- Teleharmonic -- Friend of a Friend -- I Quit -- Bending Hectic
Dulcet Murmurs Make Peace of a Chaotic World
Soft percussion finds comfort in brittle acoustics, whistling woodwind, swelling string sections, and sleek basslines. Off-kilter guitar and an eerie air of phasing synthesizers contribute to a spectral top-end atmosphere, as velvety bass and flush kicks keep the sound grounded in reality. An ethereal layering of guitar, synths, and singer, Thom Yorke's signature falsetto embodies a sophisticated harmony throughout.
Despite the titular theme of an ever-watching and omniscient modern day society, Wall of Eyes is an album that can underwhelm at a glance. A few passages meander a little too long in their bizarre environments, yet the handsomeness of the record is in its subtlety. Slow builds of rising piano, glitching guitar, sinister harmonics, and curious narratives are heavily restrained. This restraint alongside precise progression shifts and a surprising cleanliness in abstruse movement leads to an oddly smooth suspense. This suspension in the unknown is made ever so comfortable until ascending orchestral arrangements or fizzy guitar takes off in sparkling fashion.
Each track its own story of meaning in an ever changing landscape of social and demographic chaos, the three-piece band find themselves questioning it all on the penultimate track, 'Bending Hectic.' A purely captivating eight minutes incurs as crystalline guitar flutters, velvet bass calms, and Yorke wallows before an eruption of distortion and a searing guitar solo finally release the anxiety built up throughout the 45 minute record.
Not every track shares such a powerful moment or as impactful a progression, but the overall sound palette and daydreaming atmosphere fill the ear with much to appreciate. In the end, The Smile may not have any answers, but their beautiful approach to subtlety is an alluring solace in a pool of mayhem.
Best Tracks: Wall of Eyes -- Teleharmonic -- Friend of a Friend -- I Quit -- Bending Hectic
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