How David Gilmour's 'On an Island' Turned Inward and Brought Richard Wright Back Into the Fold

After decades of Pink Floyd’s cosmic scope, David Gilmour’s third solo album On an Island (2006) feels like the guy finally sat down to tell you what’s actually on his mind. It’s quieter, warmer, and more directly personal than anything he’d done—lyrics about aging, isolation, and contentment, set to a sound that swaps the arena echo for a seaside evening. Gilmour co-wrote most of the words with his wife Polly Samson, which probably explains why it reads less like a rock star’s abstract poetry and more like someone sorting through late-life feelings.

The album also marks the last time Richard Wright recorded with Gilmour before his death in 2008. Wright plays Hammond organ, piano, and even sings harmony on “The Blue,” and his floating chord work gives the record a natural Pink Floyd texture without trying to recreate it.

Other guests include David Crosby and Graham Nash on backing vocals for the title track—they add that glowing, Laurel Canyon choral lift—and Robert Wyatt on cornet, which sounds like a melancholy foghorn. Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music) and Gilmour’s longtime keyboardist Jon Carin also appear. But the real chemistry is between Gilmour and Wright: you can hear two old friends locking into a sweet, unhurried pocket that they never quite had time for in the Floyd machine.