David Gilmour - Luck and Strange

Three weeks ago, David Gilmour's long-awaited fifth studio album Luck and Strange was released. Shortly after, I wrote a few lines on the Instagram profile of this blog. But now a more detailed review is to follow, which at least begins to do justice to what for me personally is by far the most important release in many years.

Luck and Strange has been on repeat since 7 September – and I can safely say that I have not been bored for a second. Quite the opposite: I have grown so fond of the album that I can no longer imagine a day without these songs. Even on Monday mornings, the journey to work in the bus crowded with noisy schoolchildren is bearable...

Of course, a living legend like David Gilmour, who has shaped the lives of millions of people with his music, polarises with every release. The faction of dyed-in-the-wool traditionalists, yes, I'm deliberately putting it a bit disparagingly, is always waiting for a The Dark Side of the Moon II or Wish You Were Here II. It should be clear by now, at the latest since David's third solo album On an Island (2006), that the former Pink Floyd guitarist and singer is not interested in living in the past, but wants to break new ground. Or to put it another way: He simply only releases the kind of music that touches him in the present. By the way, this is what connects him with his buddy Mark Knopfler, who also doesn't release a second of “Sultans of Swing“ or “Money for Nothing“. David relies on calmer, unagitated and reflective tones, sometimes rocky, but often in the singer-songwriter genre. Another similarity with Knopfler.

I have already written elsewhere that Luck and Strange is a veritable family project, with Gilmour's wife Polly as lyricist and his daughter Romany as singer and harpist at the centre. In the booklet, David writes that the album is as much Polly's as it is his – and this is something every Pink Floyd fan should bear in mind when listening to Luck and Strange. I have never understood the criticism of Polly's lyrics that has been expressed from time to time – at the latest with “High Hopes“, the epic final track of the Pink Floyd album The Division Bell (1994), the novelist has, in my opinion, created a monument to herself. I don't need to mention that she is no Roger Waters II as a lyricist, she has a completely different style...

Gilmour opens the curtains to HIS world even more than he used to. In this sense, the album is extraordinarily intimate – a circumstance that is also reflected in the booklet, in which Polly, who is also a terrific photographer, presents some remarkable shots. As I said, it's a family album in which tons of lifeblood is invested...

Regardless of such fundamental considerations, after three weeks of excessive listening, it remains for me to conclude that David presents some of his best solo songs in 2024. The title track is not only remarkable because Pink Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright, who died in 2008, can be heard prominently on it. No, the track also stands out with magnificent retrospective lyrics and a superb chorus, making “Luck and Strange“ a real hit in the Gilmour universe – I keep singing along loudly (in the interest of my neighbours, I will pull myself together at the upcoming Rome concerts, even though it will be difficult for me).

A few months after its release, “The Piper's Call“ continues to impress me completely - I'm almost inclined to say that this composition has already passed the test of time with flying colours. Romany's elfin-like backing vocals harmonise fantastically with David's lead vocals - and the concluding solo is, of course, a delight for any Pink Floyd fan. The verses and chorus are catchy, so I definitely see another hit here that is sure to become a Gilmour classic. I think the latter also applies to “Dark and Velvet Nights“, which is rockier than most of the other tracks and has a good groove – it will surely be a highlight live.

On an album without any weak spots, the final track “Scattered“ stands out: the under-the-skin lyrics, which are dedicated to the topic of mortality and are extremely personal, were this time not only penned by Polly, but also David and his son Charlie (for the nerds: yes, it's the Charlie who can be heard as a small child at the end of the aforementioned “High Hopes“ in the telephone call with Steve O'Rourke, the band's then manager). Looking back at Gilmour's entire solo career, I would rank “Scattered“ among the three best tracks of his work beyond Pink Floyd, just behind “In Any Tongue“ (2015) and ahead of “On an Island“ (2006). Goosebumps all over – and the final solo proves once more why David is considered by millions to be the finest guitarist of all time, who can convey more emotion with a single note than other musicians can with their entire discography. I am extremely happy to be able to enjoy “Scattered“ live at the Circo Massimo next week. It might well bring a tear to my eye. After all, it sounds a bit like a farewell...

Mortality is a central motif on Luck and Strange. No wonder, when the protagonist is 78 years old. Nevertheless, Luck and Strange also symbolises a new beginning. That should not be neglected. David has gathered many new, partly quite young musicians around him, with whom he has worked in the studio and with whom he is now on tour. The fact that Gilmour mainly focuses on songs released from 1987 onwards on the setlist speaks for itself – as does the fact that he concludes the regular set with two Luck and Strange tunes. This is not fan service, but the self-confidence of an artist who lives in the here and now and still has a lot to tell. If the rumours are true and he is already working on solo album number 6, we can all consider ourselves very lucky. I probably don't have to emphasise that Luck and Strange is my album of the year.

Ranking solo albums

1. Luck and Strange (2024)

2. On an Island (2006)

3. Rattle that Lock (2015)

4. David Gilmour (1978)

5. About Face (1984)