(Nonesuch)

www.nonesuch.com

Having spent the last 20 years playing drums in Radiohead, you'd think the solo debut of Philip Selway would be a Squarepushing orgy of rhythm that would make The Eraser sound like Coldplay. But in a surprising twist, Familial is a largely acoustic collection of tender, fragile pop songs written by Selway in the wake of his mum's passing. These ten tracks find the drummer-with spare accompaniment from friends Glenn Kotche and Pat Sansone of Wilco, former Soul Coughing bassist Sebastian Steinberg and Lisa Germano-possessing a fine singing voice as delicate as Ron Sexsmith's, exemplified on such gorgeous ballads as "A Simple Life" and "Falling."

However, save for a few mild digital flourishes on a handful of tunes, fans of Radiohead might be disappointed by the coffeehouse nature of Familial, not unlike the way longtime Genesis fans balked at the R&B stylings flexed by drummer Phil Collins on Face Value. Let's just hope Mr. Selway's next solo venture isn't the 21^st century equivalent to Dance into the Light.

DOWNLOAD: "By Some Miracle," "Beyond Reason" RON HART