David Gilmour – On an Island Review

Catharsis is tricky to experience. David Gilmour should hold out hope for the rush of being released from the vice-like grip of Pink Floyd with latest album, Luck and Strange, but he has been here before. On an Island came over a decade after his previous solo outing. He conceded defeat and returned to Pink Floyd, fronting it until its eventual closure. On an Island is a rare chance for Gilmour to itch the creative solo need. Whatever he does will be compared to the band he fronted after a split with Roger Waters. His solo efforts will be compared with the former frontman of a group he was no longer part of. Such is the life of a man who makes his name as an instrumental powerhouse. Continue, prodding at what makes music great with opener Casterllorizon, but know it is set to be thrown up against your achievements some decades ago.  

It is shameful this is the case for On an Island has an immense quality to it which eclipses the mood and momentum of most Pink Floyd albums. A defiant Gilmour provides exceptional sonic landscapes, a soundtrack in the making as the Jaws-like strings float through a wandering eye, observing the orchestras, country and shifting genres. What we see from On an Island is a man who can conquer whatever he chooses – and there is no doubting him. Does it sound a bit like Pink Floyd? Yes, but not because Gilmour is chasing those loose ends. His style is intimate with the best of the band and so anything after it has flickers of those glory days. But its title track layers on some neat strings, more like the closing credits of a 1990s James Bond film than anything else, to cause some separation. At its simplest, On an Island is a grand and massively produced guitar album. Dig deeper. Gilmour is at his vulnerable best here.  

With such an incredible start, parts of The Blue feel like a reduction. Gilmour cannot help himself and plays through with a stylish level of guitar work, the sort of effort which leads to those inevitable comparisons. It verges on fret manipulation yet sounds impressive, nonetheless. Take a Breath has some cult-like chanting and orders from the man with slick guitar sounds to present. Gilmour is keen to spread his wings with the genres On an Island falls under, with This Heaven feeling its way to a soft stomp and holler feel before reneging on the sound, moving back to strings instead. On an Island is a fine piece of work which truly gets to the heart of Gilmour at this stage in his life. He has more than made peace with Pink Floyd coming to an end. He sounds relieved on the likes of Smile. 

The soft joys of acoustic guitar and slide instruments come to fruition. Gilmour, alone and left to his own devices, enjoying himself in the studio. His infectious happiness spreads across this ten-track experience and makes for a wonderful assessment of his career. Yes, those guitar notes will define him, but he makes a case for his solo career with this one, three decades after it mattered. It still matters – more because we have the benefit of hindsight than anything else, but the decisions and triumphant turn of form Gilmour experiences here were not heard during his contemporary high point. Perhaps it is due to the proximity of his solo work and the Pink Floyd-sized ship he was still steering. Whatever the case, he has found his heart in On an Island and it makes for such a warm listen.