The Smile present new album “Cutouts” with “Zero Sum” and “Foreign Spies”

Photo credit: ShinKatan x Weirdcore

Immediately after his highly acclaimed debut in 2022 A light that attracts attention and the second album to top the charts Wall of eyes At the beginning of the year, The Smile continues its success story today with the announcement of its third studio album excerptsThe third album by the Radiohead offshoot – featuring Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner – will be released on October 4th by XL Recordings and consists of pieces recorded during the Wall of eyes Sessions, including some fan-favorite new songs that the trio has added to their touring repertoire. To accompany today's announcement, the band has released two preview singles: “Zero Sum” and “Foreign Spies,” which are available now on all streaming platforms.

Of The Smile's newest songs, fans will be more familiar with “Zero Sum,” which has recently become a staple of the band's touring setlists. Featuring Yorke's airy, elusive vocals, Greenwood's frenetic guitar cascades, and a quivering jitterbug backbeat from Skinner, the song is unmistakably the trio's work and is sure to earn a lauded place in their catalog. “Foreign Spies,” the album's opening track, is all new, with Yorke leading the listener into an ethereal swirl of synth lines that converge into an unfathomable melancholy. Both tracks are accompanied by hypnotic music videos by audiovisual artist Weirdcore, who brings a distinct visual language to The Smile's new project.

The two new singles join two others featured on the band's surprise vinyl release, which landed quietly on indie record store shelves in early August with “Don't Get Me Started” and “The Slip.” While the latter has yet to be officially released digitally, the former is another haunting synthscape that drifts moodily in and out of focus. Other pieces on the 10-track project feature string arrangements from the London Contemporary Orchestra, which also backed the band's first two albums.

The smile excerpts is available to pre-order and pre-save now. Watch the official music videos for “Zero Sum,” “Foreign Spies,” and “Don't Get Me Started” below.