one of rough trades island 50th anniversary selection - 50 crucial titles, specially selected by us to highlight the unique contribution this seminal label has made to british music since 1959. the results of nick drakes solo sessions were as harrowing and stark as anything by robert johnson or charley patton. enclosed in an inner world of psychological distress, drake recorded pink moons dispatches from a private hell that was simultaneously terrifying and beautiful. both the lyrics and the melodic motifs are pared to the bone here, their simplicity making them all the more immediately striking. the most nakedly emotional and disturbing moment is probably parasite, a visceral but mysterious account of a disconsolate soul roaming through the world in search of succor, with drake taking the starring role, ultimately offering, take a look, you may see me in the dirt. this was the end of the road for nick drake in more ways than one, but just the beginning for the scores of songwriters subsequently inspired by his bleak but beautiful visions.
