海角大神

When songwriter Mike Scott recently rummaged through a box of forgotten compositions, he found a poem he鈥檇 written three decades ago. The bandleader of The Waterboys was struck by the first line: 鈥淭he storm that has howled for four days has blown itself out.鈥� It transported his memory to the coastal Irish cottage, covered in a shag of ivy, where he wrote the 1988 album 鈥淔isherman鈥檚 Blues.鈥�

The rediscovered prose developed into a wistful track on the new Waterboys record, 鈥淕ood Luck, Seeker.鈥澛犅犅�

鈥淚 used to think if I didn鈥檛 get the song done, I would lose it. I don鈥檛 think that anymore,鈥� says Mr. Scott during a call from his studio in Dublin, Ireland. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to come down in its own time. So there鈥檚 a calmness to the way I work.鈥�

Calmness is not idleness. 鈥淕ood Luck, Seeker鈥� is the fourth Waterboys album in five years and the 14th album in a career that has garnered the admiration of Bob Dylan, U2, The War on Drugs 鈥� and covers by Prince.聽Mr. Scott is the sole constant member of The Waterboys, which has had more lineup changes than any other band in rock history. At least 85 musicians have performed with the group over the decades. Its聽sound is often earthy but its spirit is celestial. Influenced by William Butler Yeats, C.S. Lewis, and Van Morrison, Mr. Scott has developed a reputation as one of rock鈥檚 true poets. His lyrics express open-hearted wonder as he explores existential questions.聽

鈥淎s a lyricist he鈥檚 very heart-on-sleeve about his life,鈥� says Ian Abrahams, author of the biography 鈥淪trange Boat: Mike Scott and The Waterboys.鈥� 鈥淗e鈥檚 really at the top of his game when he鈥檚 writing about himself, or maintaining a sense of anger at the mediocrity of this world, or where he鈥檚 embracing the work of writers he鈥檚 loved and building them into his sense of spirituality.鈥�

Mr. Scott is that rare veteran artist whose sound hasn鈥檛 fossilized into a predictable style. The Waterboys have continually evolved, from post-punk anthems to rustic Celtic folk to guitar-lick rock 鈥檔鈥� roll. 鈥淕ood Luck, Seeker鈥� touches on those earlier elements, weaving them into an R&B sound that鈥檚 as lush as velour. As for those hip-hop rhythms? Credit the influence of rap star Kendrick Lamar.聽

鈥淗e uses all these found sounds and incidental sounds. It鈥檚 like listening to a movie for the ears,鈥� says Mr. Scott, the sort of rock star who has the panache to wear crushed velvet jackets and cowboy hats. 鈥淚t reminds me of the punk DIY days or, going back further, psychedelia with all the sound effects. ... I love creating like that.鈥�

From habits, creativity

Asked about the conditions he favors to facilitate creativity, the Scottish songwriter points to a track on the new album titled 鈥淏eauty in Repetition.鈥� It details how 19th-century philosopher William James, author of 鈥淭he Varieties of Religious Experience,鈥� followed an unchanging daily routine so that he could free up the higher parts of his mind. Similarly, Mr. Scott recalls explaining to a former girlfriend that his habitual activities, such as eating the same meals day after day, mean that he鈥檚 less preoccupied with banal decisions and can focus on creativity.聽

Now that he鈥檚 become a father, those patterns require more flexibility. But the change has its benefits. 鈥淚鈥檓 constantly making up stories and songs for and with my kids. And that means my creative wheels are turning all the time,鈥� he says. When the fount of inspiration flows, he needs a pen with a deep ink well. The recent single propelled by a horn section, features as many verses that made the final cut as didn鈥檛.聽

The second half of 鈥淕ood Luck, Seeker鈥� 鈥� a series of dramatic spoken-word pieces set to instrumental music 鈥� liberates Mr. Scott鈥檚 lyrics from the harnessed reigns of songwriting stricture.聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 not that I feel the need to be free. I like working with verses and choruses and structures, and I like working with rhythm and rhyme. But the spoken word is a different kind of expression,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t has been a creative edge for me.鈥澛犅�

Mr. Scott鈥檚 enduring interest in poetry has inspired him to set poems by Robert Burns and George MacDonald to music. All the songs on 鈥淎n Appointment with Mr. Yeats鈥� (2011) were composed from the words of Yeats. On the new album, spoken-word compositions such as 鈥淭he Land of Sunset鈥� showcase Mr. Scott鈥檚 own considerable wordsmithing in evoking a strong sense of place. Other pieces, 鈥淢y Wanderings in the Weary Land鈥� and 鈥淓verchanging,鈥� continue the artist鈥檚 abiding tradition of metaphysical travelogues that chronicle a search for meaning and truth.聽

鈥淚 discovered deeper spiritual literature, esoteric spiritual literature, and I realized that I could find what I sought in many places. And the grey church 海角大神ity of my own culture was not the whole story,鈥� he reflects.

鈥淚鈥檓 gonna look twice at you鈥�

Mr. Scott avoids the cynical outlook that鈥檚 often fashionable among his contemporaries. He expresses his disappointment that one of his original songwriting heroes has embraced the idea that man鈥檚 conscience is vile and depraved. By contrast, he looks for the good in people. In the 1995 song 鈥淲onderful Disguise,鈥� for instance, he describes seeing past the outward appearance and behavior of various individuals he encounters over the course of a day. In another song, 鈥淭he Christ in You,鈥� he sings a simple recurring refrain: 鈥淚鈥檓 gonna look twice at you / Until I see the Christ in you / When I鈥檓 lookin鈥� through the eyes of love.鈥�

鈥淭he proof in the pudding is in the practice of it,鈥� says Mr. Scott, who admits he finds it challenging when it comes to President Donald Trump. 鈥淐an I look at him and say 鈥業鈥檓 going to look twice until I see the Christ in you?鈥� And I must try that and see what happens.鈥�

Not one to stay still, Mr. Scott has already finished the next album. He reveals that it will be The Waterboys鈥� first conceptually themed record. Once again, the sound will be different.聽聽

鈥淗earing Kendrick鈥檚 records about five years ago, when I got turned on to them, reminded me that you can do anything,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou can juxtapose anything. If it works and it feels good, there are no rules.鈥澛�