Radiohead drummer Philip Selway has announced his third solo album, Strange Dance. The project arrives in full February 24th via Bella Union, while lead single “Check for Signs of Life” is available to stream now.
Strange Dance features an array of guest musicians who Selway convinced to play on the album by pitching it as a Carole King record with drums by electronic producer Daphne Oram. Artists like Hannah Peel, Adrian Utley, Quinta, Marta Salogni, Valentina Magaletti, and Laura Moody were sold on the idea, and they contributed their talents to songs Selway wrote on piano and guitar.
According to Selway, Strange Dance was meant to be a more lush record than his earlier works, 2010’s Familial and 2014’s Weatherhouse. “The scale of it was very deliberate for me, from the outset,” he said in a statement. “I wanted the soundscape to be broad and tall but somehow get it to wrap around this intimate vocal at the heart of it.”
In “Check for Signs of Life,” Selway offers only a quiet murmur as he details loss over a collage of piano, strings, and rattling percussion. “I say your name, it sounds different now you’re gone,” he sings. “Well, this life has changed and shaped us all.”
Pre-orders for Strange Dance are ongoing, and the artwork and tracklist for the album are available to view below. While it marks Selway’s first solo album in eight years, the artist composed the soundtrack to the drama Let Me Go back in 2017.
While you wait for Selway’s next solo adventure, check out our list of Radiohead in 10 Songs and our ranking of the alternative legends’ discography.
Strange Dance Artwork:
Strange Dance Tracklist:
01. Little Things
2. What Keeps You Awake at Night
03. Check for Signs of Life
04. Picking Up Pieces
05. The Other Side
06. Strange Dance
07. Make It Go Away
08. The Heart of It All
09. Salt Air
10. There’ll Be Better Days
