1001 Albums Summary

This is my second-favorite Nick Drake album, behind Five Leaves Left. However, I think Pink Moon is his most cohesive and well-executed. It seems like he had finally found his sound, which didn't need cellos and trumpets and violins to express the melancholic ache of his soul. I don't doubt that Drake felt most himself and most inspired when alone with some weirdly-tuned guitar. Every song on this album seems like the result of hours spent in a room with the curtains drawn, keeping the noise down so as not to disturb anyone in the house. Obviously, this was recorded in a studio, but it doesn't come off that way. Listening to this record, it makes sense why Drake didn't bother performing these songs on stage. Lyrically and musically, I don't think the message would have translated in some smoky London folk club. This is the music of solitude, and Drake invites each of us to partake in being alone with him. In this way, Pink Moon is the standard and pioneering work of emotionally confessional folk music. And all of this doesn't even speak to the immense achievement that Pink Moon is in terms of musicality, as Drake displays a mastery of odd time signatures, chordal variation, and melody. My two favorite songs on this album are "Place to Be" and "From the Morning", but all of the others are equally fantastic.