Noah Yorke – the son of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke – has shared his new song, the eerily atmospheric Trying Too Hard (Lullaby).
While the guitarist/vocalist has already released music under the name Alec Owen and L.E.T.H.A.L, arriving most recently in the form of last year’s 10-track self-titled album, Trying Too Hard (Lullaby) marks the first time Yorke has shared music under his own name.
The texturally rich track itself is what you’d expect from someone who has been heavily exposed to Radiohead’s sonic universe: a captivating electric guitar motif, a haunting vocal line and a kaleidoscopic soundscape comprising layer upon layer of dissonant-yet-smooth background lines.
It’s an impressive start to Yorke’s newly launched music project – one that has already caught the attention of his father’s Radiohead bandmate Jonny Greenwood.
“Cor, what a glorious piece of music,” tweeted Greenwood. “Today was the first time I heard it, and I’m so impressed. Nice work, Noah.”
Writing on social media prior to the track’s release, Yorke admitted it was the first song of “a new solo project that I have wanted to get going for a very long time”, and that the track “means the world to me”.
“Thank you to everyone who listened to this song in the first couple of days,” a follow-up post read. “It’s now at 10,000 plays which is nuts to me. I know the reasons for this aren’t always much to do with me but it means the world to me that anyone gives a fuck or connects with it in any way.
“It’s scary to try and establish one’s identity and people caring about a song that is so important to me gives me a tiny bit of confidence that I’m not just an offshoot,” Yorke continued. “More stuff coming soon.”
As for Noah's father, Thom Yorke recently teamed up with Jonny Greenwood for an all-new musical project of their own – titled The Smile – which they debuted earlier this year during Glastonbury's Live at Worthy Farm streaming event. According to Greenwood, the group's debut album is "just about finished".
