The Drift

Despite - or perhaps because of - his glacial work rate, Scott Walker remains one of the most influential figures in rock music. He is an icon, a man who turned his back on superficial pop stardom to create some the most resonant and compelling music ever made. Any new album from him would be a genuine event, but The Drift is a truly astonishing achievement. Although Scott started writing The Drift in the late 1990s, he didn't start recording until late 2004. Working with longtime studio collaborator Peter Walsh (who also co-produced Climate of Hunter and Tilt) he brought an astonishing array of sounds and textures into the studio - tubax, shawm, flugelhorn, a 36 piece string orchestra, a huge wooden box, and much more besides. The result is a record of immense power and range and almost unfathomable emotional depth. Tracks like 'Cossacks' and 'Hand Me Ups' rock with a dark, insistent force that's quite unlike anything else in the Walker catalogue - while the vast open spaces of 'Clara', 'Jesse' and 'Cue' open up to admit beauty and horror in equal measure. In short, The Drift is a record unlike any other - a late masterpiece from a completely unique artist.