As former members of the Pink Floyd tribute band The Dark Side Of The Wall, Freedom To Glide’s Pete Riley and Andy Nixon evidently have a love for the late-period Floyd which has mutated through to this, their debut album.
Yet, they’ve managed to prudently steer themselves away from merely becoming a sound-alike and have added enough idiosyncratic touches to avoid the obvious pitfalls.
Rain takes the subject matter of the First World War, with lyrics based on the duo’s own family histories, and offers a heartfelt portrayal of the miseries that were endured in France in 1916. It may well be an inherently glum topic, but it’s one that benefits from a lush musical backdrop here.
Split throughout the album, the four sections of the title track are a natural focal point, with the lyrics and melody returning in varying guises. Some might find the division of tracks like this a touch predictable, but in this instance it provides the framework around which the rest of the album is neatly arranged.
Indeed, there isn’t a weak track on Rain, from the Floydian, Final Cut grandeur of Home Again to the funky Path Of Reason. Riley and Nixon have made a fulfilling, assured album.
