It is often agreed upon that Radiohead had been the last hope for rock , as the release of “OK Computer” had been highly acclaimed and regarded as the last major “movement” in rock. Although, after the release of “OK Computer”, Radiohead have changed their entire course of direction with their music and have become an almost art rock ambient band. Thom Yorke(Vocalist) and Jonny Greenwood(Guitarist) of Radiohead have been recognized as the stars in this new course of direction as they have pushed the band to go out into new and sometimes odd sonic territories.
The pandemic, like many others, has left Thom and Jonny left to brew up interesting ideas, so to feed their hunger to make more music they have formed the band “The Smile” and with “Sons Of Kemet” drummer, Tom Skinner, they have released more music in two years than Radiohead have in 15 years. In January 2024, they released their sophomore album “Wall Of Eyes”, which was received pretty well but was agreed upon that it was definitely made for a certain audience and wasn’t as accessible. The band had then surprised everyone when this august, the band had begun to post cryptic messages on the social media platform “X”. Later that month the band had then announced their new album entitled “Cutouts”, And with this announcement came a single called “Don’t Get Me Started”.
Upon hearing the song, you get a very unusual sounding synth line that sends listeners into an area of unfamiliarity and somewhat alien. The bouncy, jittery synth line coursing throughout “Don’t Get Me Started” reminds listeners of the electronic elements Radiohead toyed with on Kid A but freshened up in a more modern style. Thom Yorke enters with breathy vocals that chime in gently, and melancholy, contrary to the brightness of the sound instrumentation.Tom Skinner’s versatile drumming, constantly switches between moments of controlled chaos and intricate control. This makes the track really unpredictable, making the listener feel on the edge and connected with the music. Critics have said the band was abandoning its earlier, more accessible sound from “Wall of Eyes,” and “Cutouts” seems to be placed to go that much deeper into experimental grounds, some even calling it the “Kid A” era of the band, since it is by far their most experimental work. Some listeners have described it as similar to Yorke’s solo work-but only like the more abstract pieces on ANIMA, with an added layer of Jonny Greenwood’s electrifying arrangements and Skinner’s jazz-influenced chops.
Thematically, “Cutouts” is a pick up to right where “Wall of Eyes” left us off, but in a much more abstract way.The lyrics are riddled with disconnection and disillusionment, lines like “We’re all cutouts, floating away, drifting from the edge of something / Can’t we feel anything anymore?” encapsulate an entrenched numbness that was characterized so much in the previous album. Fans were debating whether “Cutouts” would actually lead the band into some form of darker or less likely sonic direction, the lead single would then go on to solidify that. In a familiar way, Cutouts seems to be like the sonic innovation Radiohead started with “OK Computer”, but with almost no commercial appeal, and is more about artistic exploration rather than making hits that would top charts. Although its innovative sound and fresh mixing, most listeners are having a hard time trying to listen. When showing 30 second clip excerpts from the single to people who have never listened to or even heard of the smile, a majority have said that it is an odd sound, and that it is definitely for a certain audience. Overall, the single is a great breath of fresh air for already avid listeners of “The Smile,” but may not be an easy listen to casual music listeners.
