I didn’t know what to expect from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ new album, Ghosteen, not after barely being able to listen to The Skeleton Tree, with its raw grief and pain. The first thing that hit was Cave’s voice—it wasn’t the brittle, thready and barely able to breathe voice from the previous album. No, it’s rich and deep, with a range of effects that weave with the often sparse, electronic and piano score that reminds me more of Warren Ellis and Cave’s soundtrack collaborations. And the songs…Cave is a poet and storyteller and these songs speak of hope, light, wonder, longing and a spiritual dimension; of deeply felt experiences and dreams, but mostly, each song is a love song.
If you have the time, just listen to Ghosteen (you can stream it on SoundCloud). It’s a beautiful, surprising and haunting journey.