Photo by Sam Petts-Davis

The Smile aren’t merely lobbing extra cuts when they’ve got a standalone single to release. Born from a new studio session and at an exact eight minutes in length, “Bending Hectic”, the first new music since Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner gave reason to be okay with the former two’s Radiohead work being on pause with their debut album, A Light Attracting Attention, has it all: a spindling, multi-part experimental rock quest, that signature Yorke-ian form that breathes ominous energy in front of you, yet still summons you in further, and the unexpected payoff. Even if it weren’t for that last part, “Bending Hectic” would still be a sound sculpture in twisted form. Each flicker of guitar begins as a straight line before they’re warped by Yorke’s presence beguiling the continuum. “We’re coming to a bend now / Skidding ‘round the hairpin / A sheer drop down / The Italian mountainside,” he narrates. Accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra, Greenwood composes the oncoming crash with a swell of strings shrieking terror. Just when that crash seems inevitable – A glorious swerve pulls you the other way in big, spacey, rock theatrics. Disaster averted, but only by the will of their own hands.

Animated by Sabrina Nichols

The Smile’s “Bending Hectic” single is available now on XL Recordings.