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8.0
15856
8.0 |
NME
An album so honest and thoughtful you'll see not only drummers but yourself in a new light. Print edition only
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8.0
15884
8.0 |
Mojo
Selway's fragile and inviting voice [is] a delightful match for his slightly anxious, if misplaced, self-doubt. Print edition only
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8.0
15905
8.0 |
The Irish Times
Soulful, engaging and affecting – Familial is a quiet gem of a record
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8.0
16010
8.0 |
State
At its heart Familial is a folk album, though a highly developed one. Selway gives us a masterclass of understated instrumentation and heart-rending intimacy
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8.0
17069
8.0 |
The Quietus
A genuinely beautiful record, and one of the year's completely unexpected pleasant surprises
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7.5
15958
7.5 |
Independent on Sunday
It has plenty of surprises ... a better than you'd expect singing voice, a personal way with a lyric ... and a couple of stand-out tunes
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7.0
15960
7.0 |
The Observer
The lyrics strive for simplicity but sometimes stray into cliche, while the instrumentation, also spare, is subtly detailed and often quite beautiful
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7.0
19477
7.0 |
FasterLouder
The sombre tone and funeral pace of the album means it loses focus toward the back end but redemption is found in the otherworldly and exceptional closer The Witching Hour
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7.0
15846
7.0 |
musicOMH
Has qualities you might not have expected: vivid, memorable lyrics that describe a variety of emotions, incredibly soft arrangements and, of course, the fact that he can actually sing
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7.0
15848
7.0 |
BBC
Familial initially seems timid, even half-hearted, but persistence reveals an album full of sweet sentiment and honest meditations
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7.0
15849
7.0 |
Subba Cultcha
An interesting and varied record that is a step away from the day job but in all honesty isn’t going to set the world on fire
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6.8
15968
6.8 |
Beats Per Minute
Even with all of its charms, the album just feels too safe and stationary to really capture the imagination. Thus, it ranks merely as a curiosity for Radiohead completists rather than Selways’s own All Things Must Pass
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6.0
15973
6.0 |
The Fly
Far from a simple indulgence. In fact, it’s much better than it probably should be
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6.0
15981
6.0 |
Blurt
Fans of Radiohead might be disappointed by the coffeehouse nature of Familial
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6.0
15906
6.0 |
The Independent
Even when horns blossom at the end of a track the surface mood is still contemplative and intimate, while the emotional turmoil wrestles below
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6.0
15938
6.0 |
No Ripcord
It’s a fine record on its own terms, but the it’s just not possible to circumvent the expectations that come with his dayjob
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6.0
15951
6.0 |
Tiny Mix Tapes
Familial is a worthwhile attempt at the contemporary folk that has been bastardized by many, coddled by some, and ignored by most. In this regard, perhaps Selway has forged an experiment more daring than you might think
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6.0
15892
6.0 |
Q
He's blessed with a warm and gentle voice. Print edition only
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6.0
15880
6.0 |
Uncut
The results, while hardly ground-breaking, are moving and accomplished. Print edition only
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6.0
16106
6.0 |
Evening Standard
A brief, gentle, often beautiful effort
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6.0
17887
6.0 |
Rave Magazine
The only reason Familial stands out in a crowded market of indie-folk is through the Radiohead connection, not artistic ingenuity
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6.0
16043
6.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
With such stripped back arrangements, the songwriting doesn’t often old its own
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5.0
15986
5.0 |
Drowned In Sound
Some of these songs would spring to life if they were less restrained, and adding a tactful but solid rhythm could be one way to achieve this. As it stands, there is enough here only to convince listeners of Selway's emerging talent as a songwriter if he sticks at it
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4.9
15922
4.9 |
Pitchfork
Selway's famous for his restraint as a drummer, so it's not a stretch to suspect that his response to being the frontman for the first time has been to crank up his natural predilection toward politeness. Unfortunately, in this instance, it feels like a counter-productive strategy
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4.0
15847
4.0 |
Eye Weekly
The gulf in quality between these slight little tunes and even a bog-standard major-label singer-songwriter’s debut is wide enough that you can’t help feeling embarrassed for Selway
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4.0
15967
4.0 |
Bowlegs
No witty words, just hackneyed verbs; no unexpected weirdness or trailblazing ideas (that we have learnt to expect from his day job); just a nice, simple set of songs
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3.0
16075
3.0 |
Consequence Of Sound
It doesn’t help that nearly every song begins and ends formulaically — with very quiet opening chords and whispering on his part
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