Luke Haines & The Auteurs 'Unsolved Child Murder (Das Kapital Version)' (Hut, 2003)

Majestic version of classic single by The Auteurs. They should have been massive.

I'm reading Luke Haines' second volume of vitriolic memoir at the moment (Post Everythingavailable at all good bookstores now). He recounts a tale of emerging from a meeting at his label (Virgin/EMI's faux Indie, Hut), where he is effectively told he is being dropped, with a £75,000 budget to record a back catalogue album. One last blag against the major label system resulting in this album of string-drenched versions of his greatest 'hits'.

Haines is a fascinating artist, seemingly hamstrung by his own cussed singularity. Maker of at least two truly great records, he seems both in thrall to the idea of being popular but totally disgusted by it at the same time. Legend has it that The Auteurs' 'New Wave' only narrowly missed out on the Mercury Music Prize.

'Unsolved Child Murder' is a gentle, rolling vignette, sung sensitively against a lazy strum and a wash of strings. Where other songwriters would sneak in dark subject matter under cover of such beautiful music, Haines flags it up with a title like that. A curmudgeon, a true star.

Download Luke Haines & The Auteurs 'Unsolved Child Murder (Das Kapital Version)' (songwriter, indie, ballad mp3) (Mediafire)