Don’t leap off your seat just yet….it’s not new Radiohead music per se. But, during the lull in the band’s recording process for their next record, drummer Phil Selway has released his solo debut under his full name Philip Selway. I mean, this is both a strange and bold set of circumstances that a guy in any band steps off the drum stool and picks up a guitar (in this case, an acoustic one)..let alone the guy who drums for arguably the biggest rock band on earth. Yes, Dave Grohl has pulled this feat off and he drummed for a rather big group himself..but that’s a different story entirely. And let’s face it..considering Mr. Selway’s business card for his day job, the bar is set extraordinarily high.
The good thing is that he doesn’t seem to be resting on his Radiohead laurels, and is venturing off on a very different singer-songwriter course. There’s some nice hooks in here, and his voice is actually quite good. All in all, you might find it to be a nice soft soundtrack to brisk sunny autumn days.
Reviews of the record are mixed, but to me if you’re a fan of Radiohead then you know Thom Yorke‘s solo material, and you likely checked out the solo work of guitarist Jonny Greenwood. This then, is just another chapter in the canon of the Radiohead family, and it’s a noble effort at that.
Along with Selway, the excellent Lisa Germano lends her voice, former Soul Coughing bassist Sebastian Steinberg chips in, as does Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche (Jeff Tweedy himself is listed in the credits having helped arrange one of the tracks).
Try it for yourself by checking out my favorite track on the record “A Simple Life” below, plus his website is still offering the lead single “By Some Miracle” as a free download.