David Gilmour, who has often given the impression of being happily retired, hasn’t been staying away from the studio after all. The ex-Pink Floyd singer-guitarist has revealed his first album in nine years, “Luck and Strange,” and he’s giving fans plenty of time to prepare, as it won’t be released until September 6. The first teaser track, “The Piper’s Call,” will be released on digital music platforms on Thursday, followed by a music video on Friday. He also posted a brief teaser on YouTube, showing himself and his dog in the studio during the mixing process.
Gilmour’s fifth solo album will feature nine tracks in total, eight of which are originals and the ninth a rendition of the Montgolfier Brothers’ “Between Two Points.” Bassists Guy Pratt and Tom Herbert are joined by drummers Adam Betts, Steve Gadd, and Steve DiStanislao, keyboardists Rob Gentry and Roger Eno, and string and choral arrangements by Will Gardner. The album was reportedly recorded over a five-month period in Brighton and London. Prior to those recent recording sessions, the late Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright is clearly mentioned, despite the fact that he died in 2008 at the age of 65. The album features a track he recorded in 2007 during a barn jam at Gilmour’s house.
Lyrics were mostly written by Gilmour’s wife, Polly Samson, as has been the case with Gilmour’s albums for decades, and the latter-day/post-Roger Waters material that Pink Floyd did before retiring the moniker. Samson said in a statement that the songs are “written from the point of view of being older; mortality is the constant.” Other family members also contribute, recalling the Gilmour clan’s livestreams during the pandemic lockdowns. Romany Gilmour sings, plays harp, and provides lead vocals on “Between Two Points.” Gabriel Gilmour provides backup vocals. Charlie Gilmour authored the lyrics for the album’s final track, “Scattered.”
“Polly and I have been writing together for over thirty years,” said the musician, “and the Von Trapped live streams showed the great blend of Romany’s voice and harp-playing and that led us into a feeling of discarding some of the past that I’d felt bound to and that I could throw those rules out and do whatever I felt like doing, and that has been such a joy.”
“Polly and I have been writing together for over thirty years,” said the musician, “and the Von Trapped live streams showed the great blend of Romany’s voice and harp-playing and that led us into a feeling of discarding some of the past that I’d felt bound to and that I could throw those rules out and do whatever I felt like doing, and that has been such a joy.”
Gilmour co-produced the album with Charlie Andrew, who has previously worked with ALT-J and Marika Hackman. “We asked Charlie to the house, so he arrived and listened to some demos,” Gilmour said in a statement. “And remarked stuff like, ‘Well, why does there have to be a guitar solo there?’ and ‘Do they all fade out? “Can’t some of them just end?” While Andrew’s criticism of the need for guitar solos may not immediately win over all Gilmour fans, the artist says the approach of not taking any cliches for granted was refreshing. “He shows a remarkable lack of knowledge and regard for my past. He’s really direct and not overly impressed, which I admire.
That’s great for me because the last thing you want is people deferring to you.” Anton Corbijn, a well-known photographer, created the album’s imagery. Gilmour was last in the headlines in 2023, when a long-standing feud between him and Waters worsened. Samson replied to Waters’ growing controversies by publicly announcing to her husband’s former bandmate that he was “rotten to your antisemitic core” and “a Putin apologist,” and Gilmour forcefully cosigned his spouse’s declaration, writing: “Every word demonstrably true.”
Gilmour toured in favor of his fourth solo album, 2015’s “Rattle That Lock,” and had previously stated that he was done touring; there is no sign that he will reconsider in support of the new album.
