Scott Walker-The Drift (2006)

The first time I heard Scott Walker, I did a classic double take. It was Scott 2 and the song was that great and hilarious opener "Jackie". Here was this guy I'd heard so many people cream their pants over, singing like a maudlin David Bowie over a track of an enormously produced arrangement of fully orchestrated strings, horns and pounding drums. I was immediately taken to the streets of Paris, where I was buying a hot dog from a vendor with too much mustard on it, sharing it with a cute European girl, the Eiffel Tower peaking behind our heads. It remains one of the best listening memories I've ever had. "Jackie"is as sentimental to me as Scott's soaring voice.

Then I checked out The Drift, released in 2006. Holy shit. What had happened to this guy in between 1968 and 2006? Where was the sap, the love, the warmth? The opening chords of "Cossacks Are" are dark as hell, and with lyrics like "Touching shattered lives, it unearths a nocturne filled with glorious ideas/ A chilling exploration of erotic consumption", the song gets darker. And through ten tracks, it never gets any brighter. Notorious for his self-secrecy, the recluse himself had taken nearly 11 years between this and his previous release.

It took a matter of bravery to record the way he did in the late 60's. In a time where turning up the amps was hip for youth, Scott sang with perfect swank and schmaltz over sappy orchestras. Thats for old people, how square. And The Drift is nothing if not as brave as he's ever been. Then again, Scott Walker has always made his career out of writing what he wants to write and recording the way he wants to record. and of course, never doing interviews or photo-ops. grab The Drift in the comments, but make sure to collect his late 60's albums, too. fucking beautiful, if you dig it.