Walker's first album composed entirely of new material since 1995's
Tilt,
The Drift forms the second installment of what Walker later called "kind of a trilogy" that concluded with 2012's
Bish Bosch. In the years between
Tilt and
The Drift, Walker's released output comprised a few instrumental tracks on the soundtrack to the film
Pola X, a cover of Bob Dylan's "I Threw It All Away" on the
To Have and to Hold soundtrack, and "Only Myself to Blame" from
The World Is Not Enough soundtrack, as well as a few
compilations of previously released material, including the retrospective
box set 5 Easy Pieces.
The Drift has been cited by many critics and fans alike as a disturbing and complex album that departs from Scott Walker's previous albums while still remaining true to his experimental roots. French singer
Vanessa Contenay-Quinones appears as the voice of
Clara Petacci on "Clara". The sound and subject matter for the album is unrelentingly dark and unsettling, often juxtaposing quiet sections with sudden loud noise to induce discomfort in the listener. Subjects include torture, disease,
9/11,
Elvis Presley and his stillborn twin brother Jesse Garon Presley, the death and subsequent public hanging of
Benito Mussolini and his mistress
Clara Petacci, and the
Srebrenica massacre. In a bonus interview for the documentary
Scott Walker: 30 Century Man, Walker states the album has commonalities with conceptual art as well as poetry. ==Track listing==