Anyone unfamiliar with the works of Roger Waters should first acquaint themselves with his former band Pink Floyd and their albums Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall before turning to Water’s latest opus and it’s numerous repetitive sonic references to these three aforementioned ground breaking records. With production assistance from Radiohead veteran Nigel Godrich as well as contributions from former Jellyfish Roger Manning filling in for Richard Wright on keys, Waters seems intent on reminding the listener that he was once an essential element behind the creative force responsible for an outburst of unprecedented creativity in serious popular music some 40 years ago. In spite of itself and its derivative nature, Is This The Life We Really Want (perhaps more aptly titled Is This The Floyd Album We Really Want?) benefits from the eerie tone of Water’s lone voice in the wilderness as well as his distinctively sinister and unsettling take on the precarious days in which we live. Certainly worthy of a listen if but only after a full feast of Floyd first.
Rating: 7/10
