Although Nick Cave postulated his career on the basis of being disgusted with this world, he is ready to confess all of his sins on his newest album. He is willing to ask for mercy on his soul, yet he defies to let go of the dark imagery while doing so.
Skeleton Tree is the album of recitals. Nick Cave is in the spotlight, rather speaking than singing, while The Bad Seeds are there to create a suitable atmosphere. In fact, The Bad Seeds have accomplished their mission by staying true to the core principle – what you don’t play is important. They are abstract painters who were told by their genius chef to play claustrophobic, enigmatic, obscure background, the one that is not for everyone.
Instruments timber, and Cave is just an ordinary man, a sinner who is confronting the unavoidable. The artist has lost the fear of losing something because he had already lost everything. In the process of the album making, Cave’s son tragically died, and it wasn’t the first unexpected death in Cave’s family. When he was 19, Cave was arrested for robbery. When his mother came to the police station to get him out, he found out that his father has just died in a car accident.
The opening track Jesus Alone portrays the instruments giving more sounds and less melodies. It is not a single; it is not a song for the radio; it is a testimony of personal hell. Ring Of Saturn reveals the humbleness of the self-proclaimed sinner.
And this is the moment
This is exactly where she is born to be
Now this is what she does
And this is what she is
Few moments later, Cave graphically describes his experience with tragedy
And spurring ink over the sheets
But she remains completely unexplained
Or maybe I’m just too tongue-tied to drink it up
And swallow back the pain
I thought slavery had been abolished
How come it’s gone and reared its ugly head again
The third track is Girl In Amber, and it is another experimental artistic vision. The Bad Seeds have crossed the boundaries of classical band, because their sound increases as instrumental sections decrease. Albeit the whole album is epic, I must underline I Need You. This song is not sang, it is cried.
This is the album that is going to be remembered for a long time.
