Scott Walker’s The Drift is a 2006 album that is more frightening than most horror soundtracks, and it is the reason it keeps turning up on Halloween playlists. The Verge revisited it on 25 October 2026, calling it truly upsetting. Here is what is on it and how to approach it.
Key takeaways
- The Drift came out on 4AD on 8 May 2006 in the UK. It runs 68 minutes 48 seconds across ten tracks.
- It is the middle part of a trilogy: Tilt (1995), The Drift (2006) and Bish Bosch (2012).
- Its subjects include Mussolini’s death, 9/11, Elvis Presley’s stillborn twin and the Srebrenica massacre.
- Critics were largely positive. Metacritic lists 85/100, though some reviewers hated it.
What is The Drift, exactly?
It is the thirteenth solo album by Scott Walker, the American-born singer who began as a 1960s pop star. By 2006 he had become one of music’s great recluses. According to Wikipedia’s summary, he co-produced it with Peter Walsh.
Do not expect verses and choruses. The songs are long, slow and full of silence, broken by sudden orchestral violence. Walker’s baritone sits on top, sometimes tender and sometimes close to a howl.
Why does Scott Walker’s The Drift sound so unsettling?
Because the sound is built to match the subject. The album was recorded over 17 months, from June 2004 to November 2005, at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick, London. The orchestra was captured in a single day at AIR Studios in Hampstead.
The best-known example is “Clara”, a 12-minute song about Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci. Songfacts reports that percussionist Alasdair Malloy struck a piece of raw meat to mimic the sound of a crowd beating Mussolini’s corpse. Accounts differ on whether it was beef or pork.
I will do anything the lyric calls for.
Scott Walker, as quoted by Songfacts
Walker also described the song as “a fascist love song”. Think of it less as a story and more as a painting: the lyrics give you fragments, and the sound fills in the dread.
What is on the tracklist?
| # | Track | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cossacks Are | 4:32 |
| 2 | Clara | 12:43 |
| 3 | Jesse | 6:28 |
| 4 | Jolson and Jones | 7:45 |
| 5 | Cue | 10:27 |
| 6 | Hand Me Ups | 5:49 |
| 7 | Buzzers | 6:39 |
| 8 | Psoriatic | 5:51 |
| 9 | The Escape | 5:18 |
| 10 | A Lover Loves | 3:11 |
“Clara” and “Cue” are the two longest pieces, together a third of the running time. If you only sample part of the album, start with the shorter ones around them.
Is it a masterpiece or unlistenable?
Both reactions are on record. Pitchfork gave it 9.0 out of 10, AllMusic gave 4.5 stars, and Scene Point Blank scored it 8.0 while admitting it might not get many replays. At the other end, The Skinny called much of it little better than highbrow aural torture.
My opinion: both camps are describing the same thing. The Drift is not background music, and the discomfort is the point.
How should you listen to it for the first time?
- Use headphones. The quiet passages disappear on laptop speakers.
- Play it in the dark and in order, with nothing else open.
- Read the subject of each song first. Knowing what “Clara” is about changes how it lands.
- Stop when you want to. Two tracks is a fair first attempt.
What happens next
The Drift was followed by Bish Bosch in 2012, which Walker treated as the final part of the trilogy that began with Tilt. In 2008 a stage show, Drifting and Tilting, drew on songs from the first two records.
Each autumn, Halloween lists send new listeners toward the album. Some will love it and some will switch it off within ten minutes, and both reactions suit the record.
FAQ
When was The Drift released?
On 8 May 2006 in the UK via 4AD, followed by the US on 6 June 2006.
What is The Drift about?
Torture, disease, 9/11, Elvis Presley and his stillborn twin, the death of Mussolini and Clara Petacci, and the Srebrenica massacre.
Should I hear Tilt first?
You do not have to. The albums form a trilogy, but The Drift stands alone. Tilt, from 1995, is a gentler entry point if you want one.
Next step: put on headphones, switch off the lights and give “Cossacks Are” four and a half minutes. You will know quickly whether to carry on.
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