Reviews

Artist:David Gilmour
Album: Luck And Strange
Label: Sony
Tracks: 11
Website: https://www.davidgilmour.com/

'child grew up on strings' it says on the back of Stephen Stills' first album and I was very much raised on Stephen's Americana and David Gilmour. As a seven year old I would fall asleep to Dark Side Of The Moon booming out of huge 70s datk wood speakers in the huge sitting room beneath my room. Car journeys were soundtracked by Animals, The Wall and Wish You Were. The Wall was one of the first LPs I bought in 1980 off a friend's brother, a Barclay James Harvest fan he thought it was a bit poppy and a mess. As a teenager we went to the premier of the film and myself and two friends took my dad to see David Gilmour at The Hammersmith Apollo in 1984. Devouring his 1978 solo album ,early Floyd and session work with Roy Harper and Kate Bush, his guitar, vocals and the jazzy percussion of 1969 - 1970 PF have been a touch stone for the last 45 years. I count myself lucky to have seen PF in Paris in 1989 and David twice on subsequent tours. ON AN ISLAND was a triumph, mixing West Coast harmonies with love songs and Floydian ambience. RATTLE THAT LOCK continued with more plugged moments and a songs based structure. Releasing music on his own terms and playing the venues he wants, very much off the gravy train LUCK AND STRANGE with its enigmatic Anton Corbijn monochrome design is a wonderful surprise. I had assumed that David Gilmour at 78 had stepped round the farewell tour and was choosing gently fading away over burning out. What do I know, back with solo studio album four and promises of more this is a high note, 'an expanding universe', not an encore.

"Black Cat" is a slow building ambient instrumental aperitif, pensive piano and guitar, its classic Gilmour, part" High Hopes" part "Lets Get Metaphysical" or even "Mihalis". Given the piano notes in "Black Cat", a nod to "High Hopes" its interesting that the title track, one of the albums big moments, digs into nostalgia, full as it is of warm fond memories of growing up as a post war child and 50s teenager. Over a pleasing loping blues groove Gilmour looks back fondly and shares hopes for the future. His lead guitar with nods to ANIMALS is understated and a triumph. Seven minutes slides by and it doesn't feel stretched or over done. "The Piper Calls" continues the warm West Coast vibe from ON AN ISLAND as David plays ukulele, acoustic lap slide and finally some very sharp angular electric that avoids the expected. The song again is lyrically reflective and features the first vocal from Romany Gilmour. Familial harmonies are often so right and Father and Daughter sit so very well together. Percussion on "The Piper Calls" and the beautifully arranged "A Single Spark" is spot on. In the lyrics and the delivery there is a sense of a man who while thoughtful is very much contented with his lot as that bucolic vibe continues. Again the lead guitar when it comes at an emotional peak is thoughtful and inventive not just revisits to well familiar DG brow furrowing. "Vita Brevis" is a delightful guitar and harp interlude. If the title track is a high point, then the other highest point is the Gilmours' cover of The Montgolfier Brothers "Between Two Points. Romany brings out every ounce of regret and pathos in the lyric with a superb vocal and emotional more Gilmouresque electric guitar solo closes the track. The choice of the song and the delivery is inspired and a dad's pride is evident as Romany takes centre stage on this album track and on the excellent bnw video. If this video and album are not the set up for further collaborations or a 'solo' career, then that would be a shame.

"Sings" carries on that fragile feel rather well, the intimate lyrics continue with wry nods to the past. "Dark And Velvet Night" is a solid Rock love song with anthemic notes that wouldn't of sounded out of place on RATTLE THAT LOCK or ABOUT FACE. Thea arrangement is well handled, blending guitar and strings. "Scattered" has the melancholic edge that David does so well. Sonically sat in the field from "Fat Old Sun" Gilmour ponders time while the piano nods to "Echoes" and skirts classical grandiosity. Languid and slightly funky, I bet this one opens out nicely live with the big set piece guitar ending. 'Time is a tide that disobeys and it disobeys me, it never ends'. "Yes I Have Ghosts", extra track one on the CD is a stripped back acoustic dance, David's voice full of Leonard Cohen rumble and burr against Romany's vocal, the lyrical acoustic guitar, harp and strings. Gilmour has said many times some of his favourite musical moments are playing "Echoes" together with Richard Wright. "Luck And Strange" the song is built around excerpts from a barn jam with Wright playing soulful organ and electric piano. Extra track two is a funky groove filled laid back fourteen minutes of those shared musical moments that became "Luck And Strange". Great to hear that, like the late 60s early 70s PF, they still enjoyed locking onto a riff and groove together and great that Gilmour managed to include his departed musical partner on this album.

'Growing old in black and white' David Gilmour delivers a thematically and sonically cohesive album that is a warm and rewarding listen. The huge Rock God set pieces may be dialled back a bit, but his playing continues to be inventive and sympathetic on what could be his strongest album outside the old band.

Marc Higgins

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