SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PHILIP SELWAY – STRANGE DANCE

Philip Selway
Strange Dance
Bella Union

Radiohead drummer Philip Selway has released his third solo album Strange Dance. Every track on the album is magnificent and gets better with every listen.

Selway is working with many different sounds in this album. All of his choices are interesting and creative, whether that be the dark and brooding piano melody of “Little Things” to open up the album or the mellow and heavenly string arrangement of “The Other Side”.
It is pretty clear that Selway was influenced by his time in Radiohead when he created this album. The electrifying and soothing strings of “The Heart Of It All” has a very similar cinematic style to A Moon Shaped Pool; meanwhile, the guitar tone of “Picking Up Pieces” is very Jonny Greenwood-inspired. However, Selway adds some of his own distinct vision to each song, allowing them to feel unique, although still somewhat familiar to Radiohead.

“Strange Dance” feels like something Trent Reznor would have composed for a David Fincher film. The instrumentation is ambient, strange, and creepy, giving off a sense of unease. In contrast, the lyrics are sombre and passionate. The dark instrumentation and the melancholic lyrics make it a ‘chilling love ballad’.

“What Keeps You Awake At Night” is the strongest track from the album. Selway’s calm voice mixed with the synths and strings is absolutely mesmerizing. It feels like a lullaby and is incredibly melodic and insanely beautiful.

Overall, Selway’s Strange Dance is an album you do not want to miss out on.

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