The Smile (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022) is the first live album by the English rock band the Smile, released on 14 December 2022 by XL Recordings.[1] It comprises performances of songs from their first album, A Light for Attracting Attention (2022), recorded at Montreux Jazz Festival on 12 July.[2][3] The Smile announced the album the day before its release, backed by a concert film available to view for 48 hours on YouTube.[4]
| The Smile (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 14 December 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 12 July 2022 | |||
| Venue | Montreux Music & Convention Centre, Montreux, Switzerland | |||
| Length | 35:03 | |||
| Label | XL | |||
| The Smile chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100[5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Exclaim! | 7/10[6] |
| Pitchfork | 8/10[7] |
| Uncut | 7/10[8] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Smile (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022) received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 from 4 critic scores.[5]
Spin's Jonathan Rowe said the album demonstrated that the Smile were "no mere studio project" but "an actual, organic live band".[9] In Pitchfork, Zach Schonfeld wrote: "Since the beginning, the Smile have been dogged by an eminently reasonable question: how is this not just two Radioheads stacked in a trench coat? The answer is right there in the title of this release. This band plays jazz, see."[7] Both critics expressed disappointment that the album did not include the new songs the Smile had performed on their tour.[9][7]
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Thom Yorke; all music is composed by Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Tom Skinner, and Nigel Godrich
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pana-vision" | 4:17 |
| 2. | "Thin Thing" | 4:24 |
| 3. | "The Opposite" | 3:19 |
| 4. | "Speech Bubbles" | 3:54 |
| 5. | "Free in the Knowledge / A Hairdryer" | 11:54 |
| 6. | "The Smoke" | 4:04 |
| 7. | "You Will Never Work in Television Again" | 3:11 |
| Total length: | 35:03 | |
- All track titles have "Live at Montreux Jazz Festival" in parentheses at the end.
Personnel
edit- Thom Yorke – vocals, guitar, bass
- Jonny Greenwood – guitar, bass
- Tom Skinner – drums
- Mikko Gordon – engineering
References
edit- ^ Brodsky, Rachel (14 December 2022). "Stream the Smile's Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022 Live Album". Stereogum. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ Harbron, Lucy (13 April 2022). "Montreux Jazz Festival Announce Their 2022 Programme". Gigwise. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ Corcoran, Nina (13 December 2022). "The Smile announce new live album". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ Gallagher, Alex (13 December 2022). "The Smile announce new live album recorded at Montreux Jazz Festival". NME. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ a b "The Smile (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022) by the Smile Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ Hudson, Alex (3 January 2023). "The Smile Highlight Their Chops with Live at Montreaux Jazz Festival, July 2022". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ a b c Schonfeld, Zach (28 December 2022). "The Smile: The Smile (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022) Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ Pinnock, Tom (March 2023). "The Smile - The Smile (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022)". Uncut. p. 35. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ a b Rowe, Jonathan (20 December 2022). "Radio-Free Europe: The Smile gleams at Montreux Jazzfest". Spin. Retrieved 2 March 2023.