The Smile recently stopped by the NPR offices in D.C. and recorded a Tiny Desk Concert during one of their stops on the U.S. tour in December 2022. The band played “Pana-vision,” “The Smoke,” and “Skrting On The Surface.”
Surely my musical highlight for 2022 was this Tiny Desk concert from The Smile. Just how Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner were going to perform songs from their sonically adventurous album A Light for Attracting Attention was a puzzle not only to me but to the band. They arrived early, along with saxophonist Robert Stillman, to test out several tunes and figure out just what made sense behind my desk — minus the volume and effects that shape the album’s sonic landscape. For roughly 90 minutes, the Tiny Desk crew was treated to a casual rehearsal, witnessing the band’s creative companionship work itself out, settling on four songs. – Bob Boilen
Watch it below.
