Philip Selway kicked off his tour in Tokyo last night performing the "warm, tender acoustic nuggets" of Familial, reports SPIN, proving to be a "talented frontman." The Irish Independent hears "pleasurable echoes of the comforting delicate folk of Nick Drake" on the new album, The Independent (UK) "the quieter moments of Talk Talk and Radiohead." The Sun gives 4.5 stars to this "mighty fine" album, featuring "one of the most gorgeous songs you'll hear all year."
As reported yesterday in the Nonesuch Journal, Philip Selway kicked off a month-long tour of Japan and Europe at the Duo Music Exchange in Tokyo last night. SPIN was there and reports that the songs of Selway's new album, Familial (set for its North American release on Nonesuch this Tuesday), proved to be "warm, tender acoustic nuggets whose cadence flowed as much from Selway's percussive fingerpicking as it did from the drumkit, punctuated by flourishes of violin and whispered backing harmonies."
SPIN Reviewer Daniel Robson concludes: "With a new Radiohead album reportedly almost complete, it won't be long till Selway returns to his usual spot: a drum stool at the back of a cavernous stage. All the more delicious, then, to spend an intimate summer evening in his company as talented frontman." Read the complete concert review at spin.com.
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After tonight's show in Osaka, the tour heads to Ireland next week for the Electric Picnic. The Irish Independent says of the new album: "Selway has authored an intimate and cozy listening experience with pleasurable echoes of the comforting delicate folk of Nick Drake." Read more at independent.ie.
In the UK, where Selway and his touring band—Adem Ilhan, Caroline Weeks, Kath Mann, and Alex Thomas—play in the weeks that follow, The Independent's Andy Gill says the songs of Familial "bring to mind the quieter moments of Talk Talk and Radiohead," such that on one standout track, the "surface mood is still contemplative and intimate, while the emotional turmoil wrestles below." Read the review at independent.co.uk.
The Sun gives the album 4.5 stars. Reviewer Simon Cosyns calls it a "mighty fine" album and "a softly sung delight, brushed with beautifully textured, understated arrangements." Cosyns describes the album track "Falling" as "one of the most gorgeous songs you'll hear all year."
The Daily Mail gives the album four stars. This is "heartfelt pop," says reviewer Adrian Thrills. "Haunting melodies and subtle hooks dominate."
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Fans in North America can pick up Familial in the Nonesuch Store, with high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s included and available for download starting Tuesday.
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