Both Uproxx[3] and The Fader[4] noted the song was more in line with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's main band Radiohead's later work than the Smile's previous single, "You Will Never Work in Television Again", with Uproxx calling the song "a groove-driven single".

Earmilk favourably compared to a demo by the Doors or Dizzy Gillespie from the early 1970s,[1] while Resident Advisor likened it to Fela Kuti.

[6] The video for "The Smoke" was shot on 16 mm film and directed by BAFTA Award-winning writer and director Mark Jenkin.

[7] Rob Ulitski of Promonews said Jenkin's video "doesn't conform to traditional narrative or promo logic, existing instead as a conceptual form to accompany the music".

[4] "The Smoke" was released on 27 January 2022 as the second single from their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention.