For months the news has been buzzing around: the mighty spaceship Pink Floyd unexpectedly flies out again with a new album! It would be post-edited recordings made in 1993 and 1994 with keyboardist Rick Wright, who died in 2008. Distraught member Roger Waters would have nothing to do with it. The result is called Endless River (2014) and from the woozy opening soundscape Things Left Unsaid that with
… It's What We Do transitions into Nick Mason's lazy but epic drums, Wright's ethereal organ carpets and David Gilmour's piercing blues guitar, you sit in Pink Floyd. The Pink Floyd of the languid and atmospheric psychedelics from albums like Wish You Were Here (1975) and Meddle (1971) that is. Perhaps not original, but Pink Floyd still delivers this in 2014 with great finesse. The Endless River ripples on slowly but pleasantly and remains (apart from some voice samples and choirs) instrumental until the closing song Louder Than Words. Mason and Gilmour (helped by Youth and Phil Manzanera, among others) could not have done better in shaping this tribute to Wright. Gilmour indicated that this is definitely Pink Floyd's last record. Not urgent but a glorious swan song from this timeless space rock band. (MR)more
