Arc Light is the second studio album by contemporary folk three-piece Lau

Lau (band)

Lau is a contemporary folk three-piece from Scotland, named after an Orcadian word meaning "natural light." The band is composed of Kris Drever , Martin Green and Aidan O’Rourke . To date, the band has released two studio albums and a live album.Their debut album, Lightweights and Gentlemen, was...

, released on March 30, 2009 on Navigator Records.

The album's bonus track is a cover of The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

' song, "Dear Prudence". The track originally appeared on a compilation issued free with Mojo magazine

Mojo (magazine)

MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...

.

Reception

Like its predecessor, Lightweights and Gentlemen

Lightweights and Gentlemen

Lightweights and Gentlemen is the debut studio album by folk band Lau, released on March 19, 2007 to critical acclaim.-Track listing:All tracks arranged by Kris Drever, Martin Green and Aidan O'Rourke# "Hinba" - 5:07#* "Hinba"...

, 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

BBC Music

BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....

 remarked that "what astonishes most about Lau is the orchestral quality of the sound." 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."

Track listing

All tracks arranged by Kris Drever

Kris Drever

Kris Drever is a Scottish contemporary folk musician and songwriter, who came to prominence in 2006 with the release of his debut solo album, Black Water...

, 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)

Additional musicians

• Stuart Nisbet - pedal steel guitar
• Corrina Hewat - backing vocals
• Karine Polwart
  Karine Polwart
  Karine Polwart is a Scottish singer-songwriter. She writes and performs music with a strong folk and roots feel, her songs dealing with a variety of issues from alcoholism to genocide...
  
   - backing vocals
• Inge Thomson - backing vocals

Recording personnel

• Calum Malcolm
  Calum Malcolm
  Calum Malcolm is a Scottish record producer, sound engineer and keyboardist based in Edinburgh.He started his rock music career with the band The Headboys in 1977....
  
   - producer, mixing, mastering
• Lau (band)
  Lau (band)
  Lau is a contemporary folk three-piece from Scotland, named after an Orcadian word meaning "natural light." The band is composed of Kris Drever , Martin Green and Aidan O’Rourke . To date, the band has released two studio albums and a live album.Their debut album, Lightweights and Gentlemen, was...
  
  - mixing
• Stuart Hamilton - engineering