As Radiohead power duo Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood continue to build momentum for their side project, the Smile, drummer Philip Selway has been working on his own material as well. With Strange Dance right around the corner, he has now released another cut from the upcoming studio album. Watch the elegantly choreographed video for “Picking up the Pieces” below:
With help from Portishead’s Adrian Utley on guitar, the track features delicate string arrangements that sum up the cinematic effect of the new record. This is the second video from the album and a continuation of the previously released “Check for Signs of Life,” which is also the lead single. Both were directed by William Williamson, with cinematography by Adric Watson.
Selway said the following about his latest release: “Picking Up Pieces is a song about the masking that we do when we’re young adults. It’s a time of life when your sense of identity can feel shaky, you can feel anxious about making the grade, and life can feel that it’s spinning out of control, but you try to hide this from everyone.”
Strange Dance will be his third solo album, with his first two released in 2010 and 2014. It is set to release on February 24 via Bella Union.
“One of the things I’ve liked about this record is it’s me as a 55-year-old not trying to hide that fact,” says Selway. “It feels kind of unguarded rather than seeing that aging process as something that needs to be hidden. I wanted it to have that space so if you’re listening to it you can lose yourself in it … Almost like a refuge.”
Strange Dance tracklist:
1. Little Things
2. What Keeps You Awake At Night
3. Check For Signs Of Life
4. Picking Up Pieces
5. The Other Side
6. Strange Dance
7. Make It Go Away
8. The Heart Of It All
9. Salt Air
10. There’ll Be Better Days
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