With its unique flavor of psychedelic rock, Pink Floyd has shone for decades as one of the craziest diamonds in the history of pop music.
The band’s latest and final offering, The Endless River, is an incredibly ambitious album that rewards the committed listener and hearkens back to its best hits of the past. Compiled from over 20 hours of unreleased music written and recorded by the band for their penultimate album, this last LP is a clear reflection of the band’s timeless legacy.
Never a band for conformity, this album mostly eschews lyrics and instead presents a series of instrumental songs. The resulting unconventional approach allows for an excellent mixture of styles. Highlights include “Things Left Unsaid,” whose psychedelic tunes provide a marked contrast to the later, more guitar-heavy “Allons-y (1).”
The only song to have lyrics, “Louder Than Words,” comes at the end of the album and blends the instrumental feel of The Endless River with the familiar lyrical quality of past offerings such as The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.
The Endless River constitutes a continual listening experience, divided into four “sides,” each of which is complemented by an assortment of styles. Unfortunately, the varying lengths of the sides cause the album’s energy to loll, particularly on songs like Side Three’s “Talkin’ Hawkin,” which results in an unsatisfying conclusion to the album.
The album is quite long, and its focus on instrumental rather than lyrical music may be off-putting to casual listeners. Nonetheless, the LP demands repeat listenings, as the mixing and matching of various electronic instruments result in subtleties that are a joy to discover and a contemporary nod to Pink Floyd’s iconic sound.
The Endless River will prove to be a satisfying experience for diehard Pink Floyd fans. The new album is also likely to attract more listeners who are in the mood for a psychedelic trip through Floyd’s instrumental musings. The Endless River leaves us lost for words as Pink Floyd completes the final brick in their wall.
Voice’s Choices: “Allons-y,” “Louder Than Words”
