A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON

Supposedly the big drop from the glory days of old, even more so than The Final Cut. Is it true? Maybe. The album starts off with a soft and ambient instrumental with a Mid Tempo solo that sounds like something from Meddle. Then comes the smash radio hit Learning to Fly. the sounds are still eerie and nostalgic. Gilmour has a nice voice, but it isn't up to par with Waters, which is what I felt brought so much worth to Final Cut. Still, the song has a solid and captivating melody. It feels like a Wall-era demo, really. With a nice mid-tempo solo. The hooks are fine, and the melodies are strong. It is more mood than actual song craft, though. And the spoken word part doesn't really come off too well for me. Seems unnecessary.

The Dogs of War recalls an animals demo. Yes, it seems as if Gilmour is intent on reliving the glorious Pink Floyd Past. Even with the angry vocals that have Gilmour mimicking ol' Roger. It is a shame, too, because the song is sorely lacking. It is simplistic, and is carried by basic mood, only. There is almost no cohesion, and it feels choppy. That sax solo just doesn't fit, even though I like it. With One Slip we have what feels like a Dark Side demo or outtake. The noises are plain annoying, and the ringing is a time rip off if I have ever heard one. The song itself is not much to hear, either. Rather simple, without even the mood to set it free. Almost sounds like 80's synth pop for a second. Wait, this IS 80's synth pop...with mid tempo guitar solos.

Is it me, or does On The Turning Away sound as if Gilmour is trying to mimick... Peter Gabriel? I can't help but feel that this band is just living in the progressive past. It has a warm melody, and the lyrics aren't absolute rubbish, but this leaves a lot to be desired. Living on with mood alone...

Did I forget to mention how much this guy loves those moody mid tempo solos? Yeah, they sound nice, at least. But, there are so many of them, and each one is fairly interchangeable. To be fair, quite a few of them are really good, but don't top the emotional and paced solos of long lost years. Yet Another Movie has some banal ambiance at the beginning. In all honesty, the songs lack a lot. They are riding the mood and atmosphere train straight into the mediocre inferno. And it works for them. It is all just so average and derivative. Round and Round is a seemingly pointless instrumental, but sounds good.

Terminal Frost is just repetitive and weak. That solo is nothing, and the ambiance is the same as all the other ambiance we've encountered so far. The weak synthesizer lines are boring, and the track never takes off. At least the mood is good. A New Machine is annoying, really. Those vocals and motionless synth backing are abysmal.

Record closing Sorrow is more somewhat monotone plod-rock with those ever popular mid tempo musings. The mood is the same as the mood on every song here, and the pace is the same, too. This is like one big muddy song split into multiple tracks.

It is repetitive in a negative way, the lyrics are not so great, it is derivative of past glories without expanding upon them in a meaningful way, and those mid tempo solos get old. (I never thought I would say that!) Depending on your mood, this entire album could be filler, or none of it could be. It is all so much alike.

Best Song - Learning To Fly, but not so great

Worst Song - All of it or none of it.

** Weak Stars, but feel free to boost it if you like the mood, or subtract if you don't 'cause it's all the same.

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