At just under 30 minutes long, Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon” is a delicate masterpiece. Aside from a few piano notes on the title track, the album is composed solely of an acoustic guitar and Nick’s vocals. The beauty of this album is in the simplicity. Nick plucks and fingerpicks open guitar tunings creating a fragile yet warm atmosphere. On songs like “Place to Be” and “Road”, every note feels so purposeful. The guitar parts are wonderfully crafted — it’s hard to believe that there are no overdubbed guitar tracks.
The song “Horn” is completely instrumental. A simple guitar phrase of plucked notes ring out creating an incredible amount of emotion for the sparseness of the track. It’s something a beginning guitarist could probably play but even an experienced guitarist would fail to deliver the passion of Nick’s performance.
Nick’s soft vocal melodies offer introspective thoughts on loneliness, hope, love, and beauty. On songs like “Road” and “Things Behind the Sun”, Drake urges the listener to take life at their own pace and do what’s best for themselves. Other tracks like “Place to Be” and “Parasite” struggle with feelings of not belonging.
The album closer, “From the Morning”, reflects on the beauty of the natural world. The song could be about the cycle of life and death. Or maybe it’s about appreciating the beauty of the morning and carrying it with us through the day. Regardless of intention, the final result is the perfect way to close out the album.
“So look, see the sights
The endless summer nights
And go play the game that you learned
From the morning”
Favorite Tracks
“Pink Moon”, “Place to Be”, “Road”, “Horn”, “Know”, “Free Ride”, “From the Morning”
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