ALBUM REVIEW: Philip Selway - Familial

(released on Bella Union, 2010)

Review by Michael Bird

                                              
2/5

It’s hard to approach a solo album from a member of any band without some preconceptions, especially when the band is a capital ‘B’ band like Radiohead. You assume (rightly or wrongly) that the record might be an attempt to either cash in on or distance oneself from the output of the band, and often you simply know too much about the person putting the album out and it unfairly colours your opinions.

Of course, it’s unlikely that Phil Selway would want or need to cash in on anything at this stage in his career, and it seems equally unlikely that he’d want to distance himself from Radiohead’s sound (whatever exactly that is). Being a fairly quiet member of a somewhat private band, it might also be the case that we don’t know enough about him to write the album off completely. Personally, all I know about Phil Selway is that he seems polite and reserved, he can keep time and he plays in a band with Thom Yorke. Having said that, after giving Phil’s debut solo effort Familial several spins, I would sum it up as polite, reserved and partially about Thom Yorke (it is also largely in time, but that’s not so interesting).

Selway opts for largely acoustic, stripped back and muted instrumentation and production, and the album remains staunchly pop throughout (think Finn brothers pop though, not Damien Rice). It’s personal sort of content, I suppose, but personal vague and forgettable terms. It’s easier to characterise Familial in terms of what it isn’t than what it is, and despite the presence of some whispers, sparse acoustic guitars and earnest self-assessment, Bon Iver it ain’t. It ain’t Iron and Wine either, and perhaps where Selway falls down is in sticking too close to a safe formula, refusing to push any boundaries at all in any direction, ultimately making Familial a completely forgettable exercise.

‘By Some Miracle’ and ‘Broken Promises’ are highlights insofar as the album has any highlights, where Selway proves he can do more vocally than contribute the occasional backing to Yorke. Several songs seem to reference Radiohead and Yorke in particular (‘All Eyes on You’ might be introspective or a study of Yorke from behind the kit), and this is where one of the disadvantages of taking a break from a successful band to release a solo album surfaces. The world does not need any more famous people complaining about being famous, not even if they’re mild mannered drummers. The songs themselves are entirely inoffensive musically, but by the time it’s “So frail and small, so scared you’re terrified by all” and “We’ll turn out the lights, we just want a simple life”, the line from earnest to tedious and whiny is crossed and much of the appeal of the album is lost. 

What Selway chooses to do on Familial he does well enough; he has decent control over a decent voice, he can pick his way through some occasionally interesting chords with ease, and the polished production of the album suits a quiet, intimate half hour (most of the songs are quite short) with an able singer/songwriter. The problem however, is that there just isn’t enough of anything to make the album interesting.