Watch The Smile perform for room of young kids in new Paul Thomas Anderson-directed video for ‘Friend Of A Friend’

nme.com:

The Smile have released their Paul Thomas Anderson-directed music video for ‘Friend Of A Friend’ – watch it below.The Smile have dropped their second album ‘Wall Of Eyes‘ today, and to celebrate, they’ve released a video of the trio performing to their toughest crowd yet: a room full of kids.With the lyrics based on pandemic-era videos of Italians singing to each other on their balconies, Thom Yorke begins with a sprightly bass line and some fairly wholesome lyrics: “I can go anywhere that I want / I just gotta turn myself inside out and back to front”.

But Anderson’s camera captures the sprogs looking rather unimpressed. One kid hoots in other children’s faces, another stares mindlessly at the ceiling waiting for it to end – and that’s all before the chorus even hits.

It’s not until The Smile start flashing some colourful lights that they elicit a devil hand sign from a budding rocker at the front.It’s a tricky crowd – there’s blatant yawning and shushing still to be seen – but by the end of their performance, the kids give some raucous applause and Yorke walks away with a rare smile on his face.

Watch the moment below:Various members of The Smile have collaborated with Anderson over the years. Jonny Greenwood has composed the soundtrack to five of his films (now including Licorice Pizza); he was also the subject of the documentary Junun filmed by Anderson, taking place in Rajasthan, India.Meanwhile, Anderson directed a “one-reeler” for Yorke’s 2019 album ‘Anima‘, his third solo record.NME reviewed The Smile’s latest record in a four-star review: “Where previously the comparisons to their Radiohead catalogue could warp expectations, the breadth of the material on offer here suggest that it could, eventually, flip that.