ON AN ISLAND

'On an Island' is a very lonely and sentimental album... it captures the feeling of longing for absent love and reflecting on the best days of one's life that are lost and gone forever. A feeling of bittersweet nostalgia for special moments that drifted away too fast... this is very emotional material.

'The Blue' is gentle and depressive... it flows by in soothing, yet downcast, slow-motion waves similar to 'Us and Them'.

'Take a Breath' is the most aggressive song on the album and reminds me a bit of 'Dogs of War' from 'A Momentary Lapse of Reason'. It's good but doesn't hold up after repeated listens as well as the more delicate songs that surround it.

'Smile' is my favorite song on the album. It has some great bluesy acoustic-slide playing; quite Meddle-esque (think 'A Pillow of Winds'). This is yet another very tender and melancholic track... this album could be the perfect companion for a solitary rainy day spent indoors. It has a very introverted and isolated atmosphere of sadness and sleepy yearning.

It is all a bit gloomy and very 'blue', but i like that sort of thing. This album is as emotional and affecting as anything Pink Floyd ever recorded, but not nearly as sophisticated, weird, or dark. I recommend this to all fans of Pink Floyd's most delicate songs. The few all-instrumental songs are quite boring though... and the album as a whole drags on too long. I can only give this 3.5 stars.