The Times of London has published a profile of Philip Selway, calling his forthcoming album, Familial, "remarkably assured." The Word says: "The whole thing is rather beautiful." MOJO and MusicOMH give the album four stars, the latter calling it "incredibly folky and intimate" and proclaiming: "Selway can sing." Q concurs, saying Selway is "blessed with a warm and gentle voice"; Uncut calls Familial "moving and accomplished."
The release of Philip Selway's debut solo album, Familial, is now just two weeks away, with the album due out from Nonesuch in North America August 31 and elsewhere the day before on Bella Union, out of the UK. There, The Times of London published a feature profile of Selway over the weekend that examines the challenges and insecurities the come from stepping out from behind his Radiohead drum kit and taking center stage on his forthcoming solo album, which Times describes as "remarkably assured." Times subscribers can read the article at thetimes.co.uk.
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Also in the UK, the September issue of The Word takes a look at three new solo albums by members of well-known bands, including Brandon Flowers of The Killers, Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio, and Radiohead's Selway. Writer Andrew Collins says that Selway "emerges almost fully formed from behind the drum kit of Britain's smartest band ... and delivers in Familial a minimalist, low-impact set of sitdown songs with a West Coast breeze and an English folk plaintiveness." Collins goes on to say: "The whole thing is rather beautiful, and nothing like Radiohead." To read the article, pick up the latest issue of The Word, on stands now, or subscribe at wordmagazine.co.uk.
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MusicOMH gives the album four stars. Its sound is "incredibly folky and intimate," says reviewer Max Raymond. "And Selway can sing." Raymond compares Selway's vocals to "a gentler, softer Jeff Tweedy. Because of the clarity of his voice, his lyrics are striking and reveal an interesting portrait of himself and his own life as he reaches middle age."
Raymond too asserts how distinct this album is from the music Selway has made with his band with perhaps surprising results: "vivid, memorable lyrics that describe a variety of emotions, its incredibly soft arrangements and, of course, the fact that he can actually sing, proving wrong the famous 'drummers are not frontmen' rock'n'roll myth in the process." The reviewer concludes: "This brave album will entice Radiohead die-hards, but it should also bring its creator an entirely new audience as he steps momentarily into the spotlight."
Read the complete review at musicomh.com.
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Reviews of Familial can be found in the August issues of Britain's major music monthlies. MOJO gives it four stars. Reviewer Andy Fyfe recommends looking beyond the Radiohead connection, describing the album as "an acoustically plucked, feet-on-the-ground record, Selway's fragile and inviting voice a delightful match for his slightly anxious, if misplaced, self-doubt. Credit where it's due" it's time to give the drummer some." Q magazine says Selway is "blessed with a warm and gentle voice"; Uncut calls Familial "a singer-songwriter's album, filled with quiet, personal, often very beautiful music," resulting in a "moving and accomplished" record.
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To reserve a copy of Familial in the US and Canada, with the complete album included as high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s starting release day, and the opening track, "By Some Miracle," included at checkout, head to the Nonesuch Store.
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