One of the most culturally significant yet seemingly under appreciated figures during the 1990’s alt rock zeitgeist was Nick Cave. Known for his unwaveringly smooth baritone voice and visceral songwriting, Cave made a name for himself as the frontman and creative lead behind Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Cave’s formative years in the music business were characterized by noisy and bleak after punk put forth by bands like Joy Division and Killing Joke.
The Bad Seeds became quickly known for their eclectic sound, blending the post-punk with elements of classical and gospel music. Nowhere is this more evident than “The Boatman’s Call,” a record heralded as one of the greatest albums of the 90s, and one of Cave’s greatest works.
The group’s latest effort, “Wild God,” has proven that their creative prowess and affinity for thought-provoking music has not waned with time. Clocking in at just over 44 minutes, the record flows from song to song seamlessly. Ranging from intimate ballads to grand orchestral pieces, “Wild God” has a lot to offer.
The record opens with “Song of the Lake,” which explodes right off the bat with grand melancholy. It does a fantastic job at opening the album and setting the mood for the rest of the songs. The orchestral swells and repetitive lyrics are almost reminiscent of a Radiohead track, like the climax of “Exit Music (For A Film)” or “Nude.”
One cut that stands out is the title track, featuring a grandiose chorus and spiraling orchestral accompaniment. Par for the course with any Nick Cave record is his lyricism: often cynically flirting with biblical passages or crooning about past love. Despite his age, Cave’s voice sounds just as strong as it had in the early ’90’s, still able to reach the same highs and lows with ease.
“Joy” offers a unique break from the record’s sound, standing on a simplistic organ pedal with a French horn providing a countermelody to Cave’s voice. Occasional choral swells enter in towards the back of the track, but most of the song remains somewhat barren, allowing the lyrics and vocal performance to take center stage.
“Long Dark Night” forgoes the large orchestration, instead relying on a four-piece acoustic band for its background. “O Wow, O Wow (How Wonderful She Is)” flows very similarly, albeit with a bit more pep. The track also features vocoded backing vocals, which would seemingly be unusual for this kind of music but fits in quite nicely. The track also serves as a tribute to the late Anita Lane, who was a member of the Bad Seeds and decades-long friend of Cave’s. The latter half of the song features a recorded message from Lane to Cave, the last one she would record before passing.
Going into this record intending to hear earworm after earworm will leave one disappointed. “Wild God” is a reflective and retrospective piece that should be listened to in one sitting with undivided attention, much like some of Cave’s other music. Though some of the songs may have a similar feel to one another, it’s a very powerful record. The Bad Seeds still have much to offer the world, even over forty years after their inception.
Rating: 4/5