Scott Walker- The Drift (4AD, 2006)

Upon first hearing this record- on its release, in the spring of 2006- I recall not digging it so much. Perhaps not at all, actually. I didn’t know what to make of Walker’s operatic and melodramatic voice floating over this dark and discordant landscape. Though Walker initially found success in the UK (in the 1960s and 70s) as part of the pop group The Walker Brothers, he dedicated the final chapters of his career to releasing difficult, abstract, and theatrical horror shows. Revisiting this LP in the uncertain and tragic COVID era is particularly interesting, and Walker’s voice is both beautiful and haunting. The vinyl has a statement on it that announces it being recorded in the analog domain, and that it is meant to be played loud. However, the more impactful moments on The Drift are the ones less bombastic and relying more on minimalist structure and space- such as “Jesse” and “Buzzers.” The lyrics are pointed, catastrophic in tone, and darkly comical, ending his opus fittingly with the elegiac “A Lover Loves”:

This is a waltz for a dodo
A samba for Bambi
Gavotte for the Kaiser
Bolero for Beuys
A reel for Red Rosa
A polka for Tintin

On The Drift, Walker takes you on a trip to the heart of darkness, and it is certainly not one you’ll soon forget.