By 1972, the year that Pink Moon was released, it is said that Nick Drake had all but become a complete hermit. In fact, instead of calling a meeting to show his label and producers the new album, he instead simply dropped it off at the studio with the label "Pink Moon" written on the stack of tapes. In many ways, this isolation and overall depression is very present on Pink Moon, seeing as all the tracks here, save for some piano embellishments on the title track feature Drake and Drake alone, plucking away on his acoustic guitar. And while after coming from an album so well constructed and lavish as Bryter Layter, Pink Moon in many ways feels somehow fuller than any album that Drake ever produced. In my opinion, this comes from the fact that without all the added instrumentation, Drake's poetic and sad lyrics are given room to breath, and what he has to say on this album is truly beautiful.
In retrospect, tracks like "Pink Moon" which seems to point to the inevitability of death or the following track "Place To Be" in which the lyrics find Drake himself seemingly finding the truth about life and how he doesn't find himself comfortable in his "place", a sentiment that was true of Drake in his day to day life, where he never felt comfortable. I wouldn't say that any of the songs here are necessarily the words of a man on the verge of suicide (the ultimate fate of Nick Drake), but I can say with absolute certainty that these lyrics, no matter how abstract, are most definitely the musings of a deeply sad person, one that wasn't even fit to be on the cover of his own album.
But aside from the sadness and overall feelings of desperation and loneliness, the music here is lean and punchy, ofttimes producing Drake's most listener friendly moments ever, such as the title track, "Which Will" or "Free Ride". And while the track "Horn" does present another instrumental, I actually feel like this track fits better than the instrumentals on Bryter Layter where they simply felt like filler or A/B side separators. Speaking of which, this album contains absolutely no filler, which its run-time reflects, seeing as how the LP clocks in at just over 28 minutes. However, I wouldn't say that this is Drake's most enjoyable LP for the newcomer; sure the title track is a great start, but unless you're willing to listen closely, this album may come off as just a bit to simple or one-dimensional. But, once you give it time, this is the kind of album that is hard to forget. For me, this album's sadness is one that I find creeping into my subconscious at regular intervals throughout the years and it is one that I don't hesitate to give a full listen to every time I put it on. Nick Drake's best work, in my opinion and an absolute masterwork of an album.
10/10
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