IN REVIEW: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "Skeleton Tree"

Nick Cave has always excelled at expressing sorrow and grief. Until now, he's never had to channel his own so directly, as the characters in his songs grappling with their fates and minds have been there to take the brunt. Although Cave still prefers to wear the masks of his characters on Skeleton Tree, his deep and profound personal loss can't be concealed; the release of this album follows about a year after the tragic death of his teenage son and, while writing for Skeleton Tree started before that, the loss seems to inform the record's every groove and word. Backing band The Bad Seeds bathe the music in stark darkness, the songs sparse and gloomy. It does offer tempered hope, although getting there requires the listener to wallow with Cave as he expresses his darkest emotions. It's a very heavy record in the spiritual sense; it draws you into the horror of losing someone you love suddenly, and allows you to process all of his anger, sadness and loss. It could not have been an easy record for Cave to make, but it's undoubtedly the album he had to make. A haunted, harrowing masterpiece.

September 9, 2016 • Bad Seed Ltd./Kobalt
Highlights Jesus Alone • I Need You • Distant Sky