Philip Selway
Weatherhouse
BELLA UNION
6/10
With Kid A, Radiohead traded up heart and soul for emotional detachment and musical experimentation. It’s a path that’s treated them well, both critically and commercially, but it often feels like they’re trying a bit too hard (just listen to the demo of “Motion Picture Soundtrack” compared to what appeared on Kid A). Anyway, the point is that this second solo album by Radiohead drummer Philip Selway does contain a good deal of heart. He doesn’t possess the strongest voice, but he means what he’s singing. “There’s always a sad song playing,” he opines despondently on “Let It Go,” while on the plaintive, mainly acoustic “Don’t Go Now,” he sounds like the ghost of a long-forgotten British folk singer. Elsewhere, “It Will End in Tears” is fragile and forlorn, but “Around Again” and “Waiting for a Sign” don’t quite have the impact they strive for. Still, a solid effort nonetheless.
