Nick Drake – The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs of Nick Drake (2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

The Endless Coloured Ways is a collection of songs by legendary singer/ songwriter, Nick Drake, performed and recorded by over 30 incredible artists from a range of different backgrounds, genres, age groups and audiences. From Fontaines D.C to Guy Garvey, and Aurora to Feist, each artist has offered their own incredible take on a timeless classic

In 1992, British indie label Imaginary put together Brittle Days, a Nick Drake tribute album featuring a wonderfully diverse slate of acts ranging from Shelleyan Orphan and the High Llamas to Loop and Nikki Sudden. While this was a full eight years before an ad agency placed “Pink Moon” in a Volkswagen Cabrio commercial and made Drake one of the most well-known “undiscovered” artists around, it was right in the middle of a then-current craze for tribute albums that alternative acts used to make explicit their roster of influences. And among indie and alternative artists of that late ’80s/early ’90s era, Nick Drake was a widely shared touchstone, thanks to the 1986 Fruit Tree box set that packaged up the entirety of his recorded output at an affordable price.

So it wasn’t terribly surprising that Brittle Days was one of a few Drake tributes that would emerge over the next few years. As his legacy has become more required reading rather than sui generis discovery, it’s been a while since another truly inspiring collection of Drake covers has been released. Endless Coloured Ways ends that drought in an exceptional manner. Spearheaded by the Drake estate, this sprawling collection features 23 of Drake’s songs reimagined by a wildly broad selection of artists, from likely candidates such as David Gray, Skullcrusher, Ben Harper, and Feist to more surprising appearances from the likes of Craig Armstrong, Liz Phair, and Emeli Sandé. The lineup is even more rewarding than it would appear at first, kaleidoscopic sight: Instead of getting all these unique voices to bend their musical style in homage to Drake’s sound, the approach is refreshingly catholic, resulting in two albums’ worth of Nick Drake songs that sound nothing like Nick Drake. While the original spirit of the tunes is largely respected—no death metal “Parasite”—and the lyrics and melodies are intact, each artist delivers their own unique arrangements, sonic predilections, and particular weirdnesses to the proceedings. To be sure, there are a few artists who just kinda sound like a ’70s singer-songwriter (looking at you Ben Harper), but for the most part, things are much more adventurous and unexpected, as this album unfolds across its “four seasons” of material. Whether it’s Fontaines D.C.’s epic, ripping sonics on “Cello Song,” the sensitive glitch-folk of Radiohead’s Philip Selway doing “Fly,” or Norwegian electropop artist Aurora turning “Pink Moon” into atmospheric synth futurism, the material here often veers far away from Drake’s sonic approach. Instead, it manages to stay tightly connected to the original’s aesthetic truth, a true hallmark of a successful tribute album. – Jason Ferguson

Tracklist:
1-1. Fontaines D.C. – ‘ Cello Song (05:04)
1-2. Camille – Hazey Jane II (04:07)
1-3. Mike Lindsay – Saturday Sun (05:15)
1-4. Bombay Bicycle Club – Road (02:36)
1-5. Let’s Eat Grandma – From The Morning (03:40)
1-6. David Gray – Place To Be (03:31)
1-7. John Parish – Three Hours (04:32)
1-8. Stick In The Wheel – Parasite (04:51)
1-9. Ben Harper – Time Has Told Me (03:59)
1-10. Emeli Sandé – One Of These Things First (03:39)
1-11. Karine Polwart – Northern Sky (04:12)
1-12. Craig Armstrong – Black Eyed Dog (03:45)
2-1. Nadia Reid – Poor Boy (04:35)
2-2. Christian Lee Hutson – Which Will (04:04)
2-3. Skullcrusher – Harvest Breed (02:48)
2-4. Katherine Priddy – I Think They’re Leaving Me Behind (04:32)
2-5. Aurora – Pink Moon (02:06)
2-6. Joe Henry – Time Of No Reply (04:04)
2-7. Famous Blue Cable – River Man (03:58)
2-8. Liz Phair – Free Ride (02:47)
2-9. Philip Selway – Fly (05:05)
2-10. John Grant – Day Is Done (06:26)
2-11. The Wandering Hearts – Voices (04:27)