Best of

As well as his years with Lau – five studio albums and numerous live sets – Drever has had an illustrious solo career since 2006, with another five studio sets peppered with fine songs and performances, alongside a range of collaborations, most notably with fellow songwriter Boo Hewerdine, as well as the A-list cast of players that comprise Spell Songs (alas not included here). Of the 36 tracks chosen for this album, ‘Catterline’, ‘Punchbag’ and ‘Dust in Light’ are new recordings, with ‘Catterline’, about the artist Joan Eardley, famous for her landscapes of the fishing village of Catterline, the lead single. The likes of Eddi Reader, Heidi Talbot, Boo Hewerdine, Roddy Woomble, John McCusker and Tim O’Brien make guest turns on songs across the set, and the power trio of Drever, Aidan O’Rourke and Martin Green reminds us how good a band Lau are. From his own solo catalogue, stand-outs mine the ruminative nature of his muse on the tender, emotive likes of ‘I Didn't Try Hard Enough’ and the affecting ‘If Wishes Were Horses’.

He's a deft interpreter of traditional songs too, with ‘Butcher Boy’, ‘Unquiet Grave’ and ‘Isle of France’ all standing out from the pack on this attractive double album that's a fine distillation of Drever's art.