You could argue that a best of the Walkabouts has long been overdue. This makes no pretense of being a total career retrospective, but does cover much of the ‘90s and some of the 2000s, a very fertile period, including their time with major-label Virgin. The darkness that’s a part of their sound is very much present, whether in original work like “Findaly’s Motel,” presented here in a live version with orchestra, or covers, such as “Man from Reno.” Yes, they’re a little bit (just a tiny smidgen) country at times, but also very much a rock band, even in something as epic as “Rebecca Wild,” with its huge string arrangement. This steers away from the more obvious material to focus on songs with plenty of depth — which most of their material has — although “The Light Will Stay On” did chart in several European countries, their only hit. The earliest tracks, from their most rocking period in 1993/1994, are actually some of the quietest and most reflective. The Walkabouts have always been different, certainly very different than many of their Seattle contemporaries, and this release, 19 years into their long career, does their writing and playing full justice. – Chris Nickson