Gary Kemp - This Destination

Last year, I witnessed Gary Kemp live four times with Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets – the only musician I saw more often was his band mate Guy Pratt, whom I caught three more times with David Gilmour in Rome. So it's no wonder that I follow the work of the former Spandau Ballet mastermind closely and was very much looking forward to his new solo album This Destination.

The wait was definitely worth it: Kemp, who mainly moves in the areas of pop and soft rock, is perhaps better than ever at the age of 65. I realise that this is a rather bold claim, given the huge number of hits he wrote for Spandau Ballet. What's more, his last solo album INSOLO (2021) was already a fine record that I always enjoy listening to.

This Destination, however, tops its predecessor. Basically, I'm a huge fan of Gary's distinctive voice. The fact that he can sing both Syd Barrett and David Gilmour songs excellently with the Saucerful of Secrets speaks for itself. I could listen to him for hours – his warm timbre reminds me a lot of David, by the way.

This Destination is music for music lovers who, above all, indulge their passion in peace and quiet with headphones on. Each track has its own character and is distinguished by exciting details, with more to discover with each listen. World-class musicians are at work here, always acting in a way that serves the song and always doing exactly what elevates the compositions to the highest possible level.

The title track alone combines everything I appreciate about Gary Kemp – light-footedness, depth and soul-warming melodies that melt your heart. In a fair world, this would be a worldwide hit that would be played up and down on every radio station. The fact that I could say the same about »Put Your Head Up«, »Dancing in Bed« and, above all, the stunningly gorgeous »Windswept Street (1978)«, which goes straight to the heart, shows how fantastic the third solo album by the Smithfield, London-born artist has turned out.

In short: Gary Kemp presents his fans with an excellent, multi-faceted and addictive album that lifts the spirits and which, to be honest, I hadn't expected in this form. It obviously helps your songwriting when you spend several evenings performing early Pink Floyd classics as lead singer and guitarist. In this form, Gary is already recommending himself at the beginning of February for later year-end lists – and I am sure that I am already holding my summer album of 2025 in my hands (even if there are contemplative moments and This Destination is far from “easy listening“). Maybe he can combine future Saucerful of Secrets gigs with a solo concert... I'd be there!

This Destination on Spotify: Click here.