Luck and Strange

Dave Gilmour’s new album

Alongside listening to recent albums from Ritual, Mystery, Jon Anderson and Band Geeks, another old war horse has recently reared his head for another trot round the paddock: David Gilmour, that most esteemed guitarist and vocalist of legendary Pink Floyd. His recent album, Luck and Strange, has been out for roughly a month. Enough time to give it a few whirls.

I am enjoying the album. It’s pretty much what you expect from a Dave Gilmour solo outing — this is his fifth, I think. It is very warm and mellow, interspersed with exquisite, tasteful guitar licks. The inclusion of his daughter on vocals and harp, is a revelation. She complements the overall sound, acting as a counterbalance to his gruff vocals. The album kinda does what it says on the tin. The tin marked Dave Gilmour. If like his sound, which I do, you will like this.

There’s a thing about solo albums from Pink Floyd band members — in particular Dave Gilmour and Roger Waters. The sum of Pink Floyd, under the classic lineup, has always been greater than the individual parts. A Roger Waters album always misses the musicality of Dave Gilmour (not to mention the late Rick Wright). A Dave Gilmour album lacks the lyrical bite of Roger Waters. The albums produced are often…