David Gilmour: Luck and Strange (digital outlets)

Many decades ago there was a New Zealand whisky called 45 South. My father used to say it was a perfectly fine drink . . . as long as you didn't think of it as a whisky.

I mentioned this the other night to a friend when the topic of the new David Gilmour album came up.

Neither of us had rated his solo albums outside Pink Floyd as being up to much and then I said I actually didn't mind that last Pink Floyd album The Endless River which was mostly instrumental and a bunch of polished-up offcuts with Phil Manzanera (a particular hero at Elsewhere).

My friend's eyebrows went up until I said I thought it a decent album . . . as long as you didn't think of it as a Pink Floyd album.

And so we turn our attention to this David Gilmour album which he apparently considers his best work since Dark Side of the Moon.

So his music the past 50 years wasn't that good?

Recorded mostly at his own seaside studio near Brighton (in Hove actually) with the late Floydmate Richard Wright on keyboards (electric piano and Hammond) for the Floydian title track which came from a studio jam in 2007, Gilmour's daughter Romany on vocals in a few places, Roger Eno on piano on two tracks and other guests (including a couple of choirs and an orchestra).

As with Endless River, Gilmour's wife Polly Samson writes the lyrics.

Gilmour courageously applies his undistinguished vocals on seven of the nine songs.

Inevitably there are Wish You Were Here associations (Dark and Velvet Nights) and the past peaking over Gilmour's shoulder. It couldn't be otherwise given how distinctive his guitar playing is, and songs (The Piper's Call) which are dependent on the limitations of his voice embellished to create the requisite drama.

Ironically the album gets greater traction when he steps past the tropes (the pop-folk A Single Spark where Samson's lyrics aim lower and are more successful for that).

And at digital outlets the title track gets a 14 minute rehearsal jam.

So, his best since Dark Side?

Put it this way. Luck and Strange is a perfectly fine album . . . as long as you don't think of it as a Pink Floyd or David Gilmour album.

Or even a dram of 45 South.

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You can hear this album at Spotify here