Rob’s Album of The Week: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Wild God
Nick Cave has always had a habit of doing things his own way. In a musical sense, the Australian artist has been fearless and expansive with his approach. One song of his can be a soulful blues rocker while another can be a heartfelt folk ballad or an elegantly orchestral tune. His latest album Wild God with The Bad Seeds, which came out via the Belgian record label PIAS Recordings on August 30, leans towards the latter. It’s his first studio release with the band in five years and it touches upon various emotions and feelings in a way where it all rides through a distinct flow.
Along with the orchestral nature of the majority of the songs, there are electronic elements that are blended in as well. Cave’s trademark croon is on point and the way he sings naturally takes the music to a place that only he can guide it to. He isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve as the tracks go along. You can really sense that Cave is feeling what he’s singing, it’s a real and genuine delivery that you don’t hear a lot these days. That flow I previously mentioned ties everything together, creating a substantial listening experience rather than a simple sequence of sounds.
Labor Day Weekend has come and gone, which means that it’s the unofficial end of summer. We have a couple more weeks until the season officially concludes, but pumpkin spice is already available in a variety of products and before you know it there will be flannels and Ugg boots everywhere. Then it’ll be the holiday season but let's not get too ahead of ourselves. It’s better to stay on course while crossing the bridges when they come into view. Speaking of staying on course, here are my top tracks off of the Album of The Week:
The title track exemplifies the orchestral arrangements and the emotional delivery that I’ve been previously describing. “Final Rescue Attempt” has those electronic elements I previously mentioned, and Cave’s voice really shines. There’s an excellent dynamic formed through the synths and the piano along with the stellar harmonies during the chorus. Cave’s knack for crafting an excellent ballad is evident in “Long Dark Night”. It’s also one of the many reasons why there’s a striking cohesiveness within the album.
In support of Wild God, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are going to be touring the United Kingdom and Europe starting at the Rudolf Weber-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany on September 24. Other dates include September 29 and 30 at the Uber Arena in Berlin, October 5 and 6 at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, October 24 at the Palau Saint Jordi in Barcelona and November 8 and 9 at the O2 Arena in London. Hopefully he comes back over to the United States at some point next year because I for one would love to see him and his band perform. In the meantime, grab a copy of the new album. It’s a purely original full-length record that’s going to make whoever gives it a listen feel something.
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