It’s with a sense of trepidation that I download the stream of Radiohead drummer Philip Selway’s solo album, after all, drummers have a terrible habit of making terrible records. Phil Collins anyone? Then again, I could be wrong, he could be the next Bobby Gillespie, this could be the new
Screamadelica.
It’s neither, to be honest.
Familial is a charming, endearing little record, full of mostly acoustic songs, brightened here and there with the odd samples or synth noises, occasional horns and shuffling Radiohead-esque drums (some habits are hard to break…), all married to Selway’s admittedly weak yet somehow quite fitting voice. There’s a bittersweet quality to many of the songs, often slightly lovelorn but frequently imploring too, the desperation of ‘A Simple Life’ sits uncomfortably next to the fear of ‘All Eyes On You’ – incidentally, I can’t help but think this song would have been far better performed by a full band, the guitar parts would have lots of punch with a hefty slice of distortion.
As drummer solo albums go, Selway has recorded an interesting and varied record that is a step away from the day job but in all honesty isn’t going to set the world on fire either, but I don’t think that’s in the plan anyway, he’s already done that with Radiohead. It’s a kind of neo-folk, with a hint of psychedelia and a touch of the rock aesthetic hidden away in there too – Bella Union is the ideal label. It’s an album that commands repeated listens and impresses throughout, though there’s maybe a little too much reliance on formula for the construction of each track. You can’t help but feel that with a little help form some of his band mates, this could’ve been quite something.
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