Arc Light (album) explained

Arc Light
Type:	Album
Artist:	Lau
Cover:	Arclightlau.jpg
Released:	March 30, 2009
Recorded:	Castle Sound, Pencaitland, Scotland, December 2008, Heriot Toun Studio
Genre:	Folk
Label:	Navigator Records
Producer:	Calum Malcolm
Prev Title:	Live
Prev Year:	2008

Arc Light is the second studio album by contemporary folk three-piece Lau, released on March 30, 2009 on Navigator Records.

The album's bonus track is a cover of The Beatles' song, "Dear Prudence". The track originally appeared on a compilation issued free with Mojo magazine.

Reception

Like its predecessor, Lightweights and Gentlemen, Arc Light garnered strong critical acclaim upon release. Chris Nickson of Allmusic described the album as "stirring and utterly wonderful," while Michael Quinn, of BBC Music remarked that "what astonishes most about Lau is the orchestral quality of the sound."^[1] Music webzine The Line of Best Fit stated that: "Arc Light is testament to their constant need to push themselves as musicians, and as innovators of the folk movement."^[2]

Track listing

All tracks arranged by Kris Drever, Martin Green and Aidan O'Rourke

1. "The Burrian" (Drever/Green/O'Rourke)
2. "Winter Moon" (Drever/Green/O'Rourke)
3. "Horizontigo"
   • "Horizontigo" (Drever)
   • "Alright in the Heid" (Green)
4. "Salty Boys"
   • "Operation Knoydart (O'Rourke)
   • "Salty Boys" (Drever)
5. "Banks of Marble" (Les Rice/Drever/Green/O'Rourke)
6. "Stephen's"
   • "Stephen's Leaving" (Green)
   • "Plot No.12" (O'Rourke)
7. "The Master" (Drever/Green/O'Rourke)
8. "Frank and Flo's"
   • "Frank and Flo's" (Green)
   • "An Tobar" (O'Rourke)
9. "Temple of Fiddes" (Drever/O'Rourke)

Bonus track

• "Dear Prudence" (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)

Personnel

The following people contributed to Arc Light^[3]

Band

• Kris Drever - guitar, vocals
• Martin Green - accordion
• Aidan O'Rourke - fiddle

Additional musicians

• Stuart Nisbet - pedal steel guitar
• Corrina Hewat - backing vocals
• Karine Polwart - backing vocals
• Inge Thomson - backing vocals

Recording personnel

• Calum Malcolm - producer, mixing, mastering
• Lau (band) - mixing
• Stuart Hamilton - engineering

Artwork

• David Angel - photography

Notes and References

1. Web site: Music - Review of Lau - Arc Light . BBC . 2012-01-14.
2. Web site: Lau - Arc Light . The Line Of Best Fit . 2009-04-02 . 2012-01-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120218055258/http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2009/04/lau-arc-light/ . 2012-02-18 . dead .
3. Arc Light liner notes