PHILIP SELWAY
Four years after the unexpected and exquisite treat that was Philip Selway’s debut album Familial, the man formerly known only as the drummer of Radiohead returns with his sophomore record, Weatherhouse. At ten tracks and 38 minutes, the album is as concise in shape as it is expansive in mood and assured in execution, mining a generally darker, fuller sound than its gentler, folkier predecessor. This shift reflects the band-centred nature of its construction and both its creator’s growth in confidence and the need to evolve and break new ground. “With Familial, I was acting on a hunch that there was a singer-songwriter in me just itching to get out,” Selway says. “Having proven to myself that I wasn’t just being deluded, I wanted to be more expansive musically with Weatherhouse. Within Radiohead, I have a very defined role, and I’m proud of what I do there. But outside of that context, I want to discover the full range of what I’m capable of.”Selway found his musical frame of reference for the new record when he rediscovered Mark ‘Talk Talk’ Hollis’ 1998 solo album. “Weatherhouse sounds nothing like his record, but there’s a richness to what Hollis did while using very few elements, and that’s what we wanted to do.”
EAVES
Still in his early 20s and based in Leeds, having grown up on the other side of the Pennines, the three tracks are a startling introduction to Eaves’ effortless and intuitive songwriting talent. Equally adept at framing his songs within a band format as he is taking a more simple approach, the EP perfectly showcases his versatility – As Old As The Grave, produced by Cam Blackwood (London Grammar, George Ezra) in his London studio, is grand-scale, while Timber, recorded at the archaic Greenmount studios in Leeds, is a stark piano & vocal take and Alone In My Mind (For Mannington Bowes) features Eaves accompanied by only his acoustic guitar.