Immaculately crafted with sundry high-profile guests, the album rolls along gently, only cutting loose on "Take A Breath" (reminiscent of "Yet Another Movie"). Lyrically, don’t expect any Floydian angst here; Polly Samson’s words are dominated by familial contentment and emotional warmth. This may understandably jar with the expected lyrical subjects, but it adds another facet to Gilmour’s persona. Musically, all of the trademark soaring mercurial guitars and crashing epics are in place, and there are moments of pure Floyd on the title track and "The Blue" both of which feature Richard Wright. These two tracks are the standouts, alongside the gentle "Smile", and rank among Gilmour’s best work, and help make this album as essential as anything from his former band’s catalogue. --Thom Allott
