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The Smile

Nala Sinephro's Endlessness — produced, arranged and engineered by the English harpist — arrived in 2024 without the usual narrative baggage of new releases, forcing listeners to uncover its secrets on their own.

Nala Sinephro's Endlessness — produced, arranged and engineered by the English harpist — arrived in 2024 lacking any narrative baggage, forcing listeners to uncover its secrets on their own. Tofjan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Tofjan/Courtesy of the artist

Best Music of 2024

Sheldon Pearce's favorite albums of 2024

For NPR Music's hip-hop and R&B editor, no list could capture an accurate picture of the year, yet there's still value in calling out the albums that felt unignorable.

The Contenders, Vol. 15: The songs we can't stop playing this week

The Peter Cat Recording Co. Salihah Saadiq/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Salihah Saadiq/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

The Contenders, Vol. 15: The songs we can't stop playing this week

The latest update to our running list of the year's best songs includes tips for staying engaged, being happy and letting go from Arooj Aftab, Great Grandpa, Japandroids and more.

The Contenders, Vol. 15: The songs we can't stop playing this week

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New Music Friday: The best albums out Jan. 26 (and why they deserve reviews)

The Smile. Frank Lebon/Courtesy of XL Recordings hide caption

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Frank Lebon/Courtesy of XL Recordings

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best albums out Jan. 26 (and why they deserve reviews)

There's plenty about Wall of Eyes, the new album by the British rock trio The Smile, to remind you of Radiohead, the band with which The Smile shares Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood. But there's something about The Smile that resists feeling like Radiohead redux, and on this week's episode Ann Powers, Tom Huizenga and Sheldon Pearce get to the bottom of what makes Wall of Eyes so satisfying on its own terms.

New Music Friday: The best albums out Jan. 26 (and why they deserve reviews)

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2024 Preview: The year's most anticipated albums

GRIP, the upcoming album from serpentwithfeet, is one NPR Music's most anticipated albums of 2024. Denzel Golatt/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Denzel Golatt/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

2024 Preview: The year's most anticipated albums

We take a spin through the albums we're most excited about for this year, including Sleater-Kinney, Brittany Howard, Hurray for the Riff Raff and more, plus a few rumored releases.

2024 Preview: The year's most anticipated albums

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The Smile is a weirder version of Radiohead, if that's even possible

The Smile Alex Lake/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Alex Lake/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music Podcast

The Smile is a weirder version of Radiohead, if that's even possible

WXPN

Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood formed a new band, and they share this exclusive mini-concert, recorded at the 2022 Montreux Jazz Festival.

The Smile on World Cafe

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New Mix: Arcade Fire, Valerie June, The Smile, Andrew Bird, more

Clockwise from upper left: The Smile, Brittany Davis, Arcade Fire, Andrew Bird, Valerie June Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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All Songs Considered

New Mix: Arcade Fire, Valerie June, The Smile, Andrew Bird, more

All Songs host Bob Boilen's mix this week includes the joy of Valerie June, a new project from Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, with Sons Of Kemet's Tom Skinner, called The Smile, and more.

New Mix: Arcade Fire, Valerie June, The Smile, Andrew Bird, more

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New Mix: The Smile, Kae Tempest, Yard Act, More

Clockwise from upper left: The Smile, Basia Bulat, Pigeon Pit, Barrie, Kae Tempest Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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All Songs Considered

New Mix: The Smile, Kae Tempest, Yard Act, More

All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, along with NPR Music's curator of the weird and loud, Lars Gotrich.

New Mix: The Smile, Kae Tempest, Yard Act, More

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