David Gilmour returns with a new solo album after 2015’s ‘Rattle That Lock.’
The Pink Floyd guitarist shared a video on his Instagram from his home talking to his dog, Wesley. He said in the clip:
“Hello Wesley, what are you up to? What am I doing? I’m in the last couple of days of mixing the new album. ‘Luck and Strange’ comes out on September 6th.”
The first track from the album, ‘The Piper’s Call’ arrived on April 25, and it will be followed by a music video on April 26. The rocker announced the song with the following message on X:
“It’s been such a joy to make my new album, ‘Luck and Strange,’ and I look forward to you hearing it. The first single, ‘The Piper’s Call,’ is out now.”
Gilmour’s new solo album has nine songs. Eight are his own, and the ninth is a cover of the Montgolfier Brothers’ ‘Between Two Points.’
Who Does The Album Include?
The album features Guy Pratt and Tom Herbert on bass, Adam Betts, Steve Gadd, and Steve DiStanislao on drums, Rob Gentry and Roger Eno on keyboards, and Will Gardner arranging strings and backup vocals. The guitarist recorded it in Brighton and London over five months with producer Charlie Andrew.
The album also includes keyboard recordings by the late Pink Floyd member Richard Wright from 2007, lyrics by Gilmour’s son Charlie, and harp and vocals by his daughter Romany. His other son, Gabriel, contributed backing vocals. Gilmour’s wife, Polly Samson, wrote most of the lyrics for the record. In a statement, Samson talked about what the songs were about:
“It’s written from the point of view of being older; mortality is the constant.”
Gilmour added after her:
“We spent a load of time during and after lockdown talking about and thinking about those kind of things.”
What Was It Like To Work With Charlie Andrew?
In the statement, the rocker also reflected on working with Andrew:
“We invited Charlie to the house, so he came and listened to some demos and said things 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?’ He has a wonderful lack of knowledge or respect for this past of mine. He’s very direct and not in any way overawed, and I love that. That is just so good for me because the last thing you want is people just deferring to you.”
Gilmour referred to his and his wife Polly’s songwriting partnership and said:
“Polly and I have been writing together for over 30 years 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.”
The album has its photos and design by Anton Corbijn. It will come in different forms like digital, vinyl, CD, and Blu-ray. The CD and Blu-ray versions include bonus tracks ‘Yes, I Have Ghosts’ and the original ‘Luck and Strange’ barn jam. Just before the album’s announcement, the guitarist shared another post from the studio saying he was ready for his new record.
You can see his IG post here and his tweet below.
It's been such a joy to make my new album, Luck and Strange, and I look forward to you hearing it. The first single, The Piper's Call, is out now.https://t.co/hMyKTYv29b pic.twitter.com/XKMmDnMPb8
— David Gilmour (@davidgilmour) April 25, 2024
