Sep 73 min read

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - “transcendence in the face of tragedy”.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds @ Southside Festival 2009 via Flickr (Creative Commons Licence)

It’s refreshing to see an artist, whose main discographical output was in the 90s, persist in their creative medium well into the 21st century. The band's previous two albums have been shaped by the death of Nick Cave’s son, Jethro, in 2015. This album, Wild God, is fundamentally influenced by this tragedy, but brings with it a gospel flare, and a hopeful message to listeners.

Overall, the sound quality flits between melancholic and epic. Gospel voices and wide, soaring string parts contribute to the ethereal sound. Synths are present throughout the album soundscape, harking back to the 80s pop style, and helping to fill out the sonic space. Cave doesn’t shy away from the textural extremes, ranging the tracks from full blown choir and rock band, to stripped back accompaniment with his raw vocals.

Some of the standout tracks include ‘Conversation’, an epic track tinged with hard-hitting lyrics. This song is filled with clever word play, mostly relating to grief and darkness, but disguised by metaphors. The gospel influence really blossoms in this track, driven by a pounding piano baseline and a repeating chorus figure. I can only imagine how cathartic it must be to sing live.

‘Song of the Lake’ is a surprisingly catchy track, and a great album opener. The song is narrative based, where the melody plays less of an important role, and the listener is instead led through the song lyrically. Half spoken, half sung, Cave incorporates a singing style that best suits his ageing voice, with the rawness of his vocals being minimally altered in the production of the track. I appreciate his voice being left to shine through the mix; it would be a little hypocritical to gloss over the imperfect parts of the song, at the cost of the emotion being portrayed authentically.

In the song ‘Wild God’, the lyrics could be interpreted as commenting on how grief never really leaves you, it just lingers in the background of your life. “And the people on the ground cried, “When does it end?” / And the wild God says, “Well, it depends, but it mostly never ends”.” Cave cries out ‘Bring your spirit down!”, and the whole song reaches an epiphany of chorus and epic instrumental. This grandeur comes at the height of several songs on this album, uniting them in a common structure and sound.

Repetition of lyrics is also used across several tracks to create a meditative feeling, like that of an affirmation. ‘Long Dark Night’ is a good example of this, amplifying a hopeful message that there is light at the end of the tunnel. This hope that there is an easing to grief that feels like an all consuming darkness is a theme throughout the album, and I would say is effectively conveyed, through the use of lyrics, backing instrumental, and the rawness of the human voice.

Wild God is a very personal album, which stands as a fitting statement to process the grief of all those Nick Cave has lost in his life. Music and songwriting have long been a way for artists to process their emotions, anything from their highest ecstasy to their darkest sorrows. This album takes the best of both worlds, leaving the audience with an authentic but hopeful message of joyful transcendence in the face of life-changing tragedy.

Listen to Wild God by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on Spotify.