The Drift

An utterly unique accomplishment, Scott Walker's THE DRIFT is the enigmatic British-based singer-songwriter's first official album since 1995's challenging TILT. Those looking forthe Brechtian drama and crooner stylings of Walker's laudedlate-'60s work will happily find them on these 10 haunting tracks, albeit in altered forms that often bypass melody to create what sometimes recalls a chilling sonic abstraction of Edgar Allan Poe's writings.
While two extended tracks, "Clara" and "Cue", wander down some frightening paths (occasionally calling to mind Kronos Quartet's BLACK ANGELS), and make up a considerable amount of THE DRIFT, the record also includes slightly less daunting pieces such as "Cossacks Are", which builds to propulsive rhythmic passages, and "Jesse", a brooding song seemingly rising up from some forsaken underground chamber. Far from accessible, yet mesmerizing in its bleak minimalist vision, THE DRIFT once again reinforces Walker's reputation as a fascinating and thoroughly unconventional artist.