Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds share 18th album ‘Wild God’
Right at the core of human emotion, the band are back with mighty force.
Photo: Megan Cullen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are back with all the power of the Red Sea with their 18th studio album, Wild God. The pioneering and beloved band, known prominently for melodic conversations that truly tug at life’s meaning, are reinstating their role in sonic history. Wild God is an effortless lament on all that’s lost and found, a musical sermon of hope, and a breathtakingly personal invite into emotion’s cavernous core.
Nick Cave never finds himself in poor company, with the ever-talented ensemble of Bad Seeds (most notably fronted by lifelong collaborator Warren Ellis), together they are raging and collaboratively stronger than ever. Inspiration for the album started on New Year’s Day in 2023 when Cave began to conceptualise the record around the idea that the whole band needed to return entirely, after the minimalised and bare-boned feel of the last few albums, stating that he “wanted the Bad Seeds back in the fold – unchained, exuberant and free”.
It’s certainly not a comeback to be argued with. Although not overly varied, the album plays out like one lingering exhale. From the mythical opener of Song of the Lake, which establishes a hearty pulse, to the delicate and sleepy resolution of As the Waters Cover the Sea, all ten tracks are inundated by an aching atmosphere which flickers in the recesses of each intonation. The title track, Wild God, echoes the intricacies of storytelling over subtly spiritual chord progressions and sinuous piano lines. It’s volcanic and explosive, chasing a climax that erupts through the searing vibrato of Cave’s cultivated vocals. The third track (and my personal favourite) is the purging and pulsating Frogs. With a soaring groove and cathartic strings, it’s a psychological hot-blooded exorcism fuelled by synthesisers and cymbals.
Cave expresses that “it’s a joyful record”, however the fourth track Joy doesn’t quite confirm that declaration. Upon first listen, it was hard to find optimism amongst the earnest lyrics and thoughtful instrumentations, but it soon became apparent, as their previous recordings have, that Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds don’t play by the emotional rulebook. Ultimately, it’s throbbing and alive poetry. Along with the Final Rescue Attempt, Conversion and Cinnamon Horses, Joy is cocooned by melancholic ambience and sheathed by a blankety choir. It’s ghostly and vulnerable – what more could you want from the Prince of Darkness and his gothic army. Recognising the emotional fluctuations of the album, Cave divulges that, “It’s a complicated record, but it’s also deeply and joyously infectious.” Hope can be found in unexpected places; the staves hold secrets and ambitious narratives. Through adlibs and experimentation, we are privy to yearning, to longing, to ambition.
Long Dark Night seems to mark the beginning of the end of the record. With a slight change in pace, what once was intense becomes mellow. Gently rolling and swaying, it feels like listening to a lullaby under the stars. Bright acoustics and feminine backing vocals guide the listener into the welcoming embrace of O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is). Dedicated to the late Anita Lane, who was an ex-Bad Seed and past girlfriend of Cave, the song is a poignant testament to innocence and everlasting spirit.
The album concludes with a meditative hymn, As the Waters Cover the Sea. As a final emission of faith and belief, no words can describe the purity and richness of the choir, who echo Cave’s sentiments:
“Peace and good tidings / He will bring / Good tidings to all things.”
— As the Water Covers the Sea (2024)
Wild God will be released on August 30th via Play It Again Sam. Pre-order the album here.