Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds released their new album Wild God, on streaming, CD, and standard and limited edition colour vinyl. The album has been celebrated by critics around the world, with 4 and 5 star reviews across the board. Cave says ‘I hope the album has the effect on listeners that it’s had on me. It bursts out of the speaker, and I get swept up with it. It’s a complicated record, but it’s also deeply and joyously infectious.’
Across ten tracks on Wild God, the band dance between convention and experimentation, taking left-turns and detours that heighten the rich imagery and emotion in Cave’s soul-stirring narratives. It is the sound of a group emboldened by reconnection and taking flight. There are moments that touch fondly upon theBad Seeds’ past but they are fleeting, and serve only to imbue the relentless and restless forward motion of the band.
Produced by Cave and Warren Ellis, and mixed by David Fridmann, Cave began writing the album on New Year’s Day 2023. With sessions at Miraval in Provence and Soundtree in London, the Bad Seeds added their unique alchemy, with additional performances from Colin Greenwood (bass) and Luis Almau (nylon string guitar, acoustic guitar).
“Wild God…there’s no fucking around with this record. When it hits, it hits. It lifts you. It moves you. I love that about it.” Nick Cave
Song of the Lake is the opening track and launches a bit the renewed sound, still with a piano but this time with a lot of female backings (almost like in a church, making it almost a religious song). It’s not a ballad (despite the piano and the violin). The lyrics can fill the first pages of a book, like always and go also as always very deep. You have to listen to them several time before you can get the whole picture. The sound is also changing a lot during the song and that make it a very interesting song.
Wild God is the title track and has already been launched as a single. I enjoyed it and it’s spinning on my personal playlist. I can hear the new evolution: done with the ballads and the lamenting, this one is almost rocking and has powerful and almost spiritual powers. I have the feeling he got rid of his demons and looks more to the sky, looking also forward and leaving the past in the back.
Frogs has also been launched as a single and is also getting spins on my playlist. It has a high tempo and also a bit of melancholia and some kind of weeping sound. The singing angels in the background renders it power.
Joy takes us a bit back to his previous songs and could be an outtake as he’s singing about the loss of somebody, speaks of pain and sorrow. The piano and the electronic slices form the global sound, just as his golden voice. Get ready for goosebumps. Once again the backings are magistral, powering up the global sound. I’m wandering how he will bring all these songs on stage?
Final Rescue Attempt shows he was rescued and got it all behind him. Coming back stronger and nothing will hurt him anymore. This time the backings sound very sweet and I really believe this is a love song addressed to his wife.
Conversion sounds in the beginning more like a spoken version, until the backings jump in and the tempo goes up. It’s almost a gospel minded track.
Cinnamon Horses is a piano driven track with layers of laments on top. Towards it sounds more like a duet (just didn’t get the women’s name).
Long Dark Night sounds a bit like the ballads from the past, mixed with a bit of melancholia and darkness on top. Enjoy the backings too!
O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is) is mixing a fragile piano sound with electronics and sweet gospel minded backings. It’s another kind of love song.
As The Waters Cover The Sea, so it covers the sadness, the loss and takes away all the pain and yet gives back a renewed man. It’s a nice gospel minded ending for this album.
Well, it was a pleasure to review this one and was actually the first ever review I did from Nick Cave (I Bought most of his albums from the early years on and saw him many time on stage and loved the most his powerful passage at Pukkelpop, Red Right Hand period). I can state that the global sound changed again and I feel that Nick Cave changed a bit, got over the loss of his son and darkness. It’s a good album and a nice evolution. I just hope one day he will play in another venue then in Sportpaleis in Belgium (as the sound there is not always great).
Wild God is available globally on streaming, CD, and standard and limited edition vinyl, on Bad Seed in partnership with Play It Again Sam.
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30.10.2024 Sportpaleis, Antwerp SOLD OUT
31.10.2024 Sportpaleis, Antwerp
