David Gilmour has long stood at the summit of classic rock, his name etched alongside icons like Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon. While not every Pink Floyd release landed perfectly, his finest work—notably the transcendent The Dark Side of the Moon—solidified his legacy as one of the most innovative minds in music. With its rich sonic textures and philosophical themes, that 1973 album didn’t just redefine rock—it helped elevate it to something far more cerebral.
Decades on, Gilmour continues to evolve rather than retreat into nostalgia. His 2024 solo album Luck and Strange—produced by Charlie Andrew of Alt-J fame—has been hailed as one of his boldest and most captivating projects to date. Instead of echoing 2015’s Rattle That Lock, Gilmour shifted course completely, embracing fresh sounds and modern production without diluting his signature style.
That willingness to grow—paired with a refusal to become a museum piece of classic rock—sets Gilmour apart from many of his contemporaries, including his former bandmate, Roger Waters. Where Waters seems increasingly stuck in the past, Gilmour remains plugged into the present.
Though Gilmour admitted he wasn’t familiar with Charlie Andrew before recording, and Andrew himself hadn’t delved deeply into Gilmour’s work, the collaboration sparked something potent. It was a perfect example of the guitarist’s enduring desire to stay engaged with the now, not just coast on the past.
Gilmour has never been one to ignore the evolution of music. He once joked he was “too old for Arctic Monkeys” when they hit the scene but added that if he were in his twenties, he would’ve been all in. That sense of curiosity has always driven him forward—whether through new gear, shifting tones, or finding unexpected voices in today’s scene.
One of those voices, it turns out, belongs to Nick Cave. Asked in an interview about the last album that truly captivated him, Gilmour didn’t name a classic from the golden age—he chose Cave’s Push the Sky Away, released in 2013.
“The last album that I listened to the whole album and got a bit obsessed by it… was Nick Cave’s last album called Push the Sky Away,” Gilmour shared. “Just brilliant.”
While Ghosteen may have overshadowed it in recent years, Push the Sky Away remains one of Cave’s most haunting and atmospheric records. Its surrealism, emotional depth, and drifting textures make it a natural fit for a man like Gilmour—whose own music has always walked a tightrope between reality and dream.
Whether exploring sprawling guitar solos or diving into modern records, David Gilmour continues to prove he’s not just a legend resting on his laurels—he’s still listening, still evolving, and still chasing the next perfect sound.
