Philip Selway
Familial

Phil Selway is the drummer of Radiohead, as well as the third voice of the English band. Within the group, he is the “elder.” He has a degree in English and history from the Liverpool Polytechnic and before Radiohead, he taught English and worked in a publishing house.

When being a drummer had become a routine and everyday job, it is strange to see him with an acoustic guitar in hand, intent on whispering his melodies, he debuted with his first solo album “Familial” released on August 30, 2010. Ten songs, easy to understand, of extreme versatility, of notable sweetness, immediately digestible even for those who know little or nothing of Radiohead. The album is full of references to the original band, which fortunately leaves permeable traces in various compositions even if they are maximally stripped down and extremized. Given the remarkable resume, the album does not lack collaborations with high-level artists such as Lisa Germano, Glenn Kotche (an excellent drummer), Pat Sansone and the little-known yet no less illustrious Sebastian Steinberg.

The album opens with the ballad “By Some Miracle,” a highly effective piece and the first single extracted from the album, very minimalist musically speaking and rich in nuances that are well perceived even on the first listen, especially if accompanied by the beautiful video by David Altobelli. Personally, the first time I saw it, I was captivated and was compelled to watch it over and over again, increasingly appreciating the fluidity of the sound and the vocal melodies created by Phil. In my opinion, one of the best extracts. It proceeds with “Beyond Reason,” which strikes especially for the work on the background vocals that become an integral and rhythmic part of the song, perhaps this is the piece that comes closest to the Radiohead world.

Another particularly striking song is “The Ties That Blind Us,” very Floydian, very "The Wall", with well-curated and studied choirs; it’s been a long time since something like this was heard around, maybe because no one was able, or maybe because no one ever wanted to imitate, even in the slightest percentage, the disarming deeds of Waters & Co. Whatever the reason, maximum respect for Selway for the good idea.

The album flows, proceeds regularly without leaving many traces on the listener who, despite not facing a boring production (given the slow rhythms), manages to find the minimalist sounds very compelling, leaving a sense of relaxation and tranquility, it is almost like saying welcoming, bringing back to the safer, more familiar environment known to each of us, precisely Familial: the family environment.

All this is perhaps also due to the limited vocal potential of the drummer – now also guitarist and songwriter – who narrates his tales with a reassuring tone. Maybe Radiohead fans expected a better job, a study on electronics that has significantly characterized the sounds of his colleagues in recent years (see “The Eraser”, a solo project by Thom Yorke). Away with skepticism and lack of trust, Selway’s album won’t convince hardcore fans at first listen, but the point is that the album is listenable, Philway managed to arrange the tracklist well and the album plays, for better or worse, it goes where it needed to go.