Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ ‘Wild God’ Celebrates Pure Joy

Nick Cave has spent the last six years deeply engaged in conversation. Through his Red Hand Files website and his touring Q&A series, the 66-year-old punk-rock legend has shared his reflections on grief, aging, and forgiveness with his audience. After releasing the haunting Ghosteen in 2019 with the Bad Seeds, Cave now turns his attention to a rarer topic in these times: joy.

On the band’s latest album, Wild God, Cave embodies the roles of preacher, congregation, and deity across a suite of songs that are both sorrowful and ecstatic. Featuring sweeping strings, partially provided by bassist Colin Greenwood and guitarist Luis Almau, delicate piano keys, and Cave’s distinctively rich vocals, the album creates a lush soundscape filled with exuberance. “There is never a master plan when we make a record,” Cave mentions in a release. “The records rather reflect back the emotional state of the writers and musicians who played them. Listening to this, I don’t know, it seems we’re happy.”

The tracks on Wild God exhibit a joyful spontaneity, transitioning from earthly visions of nature like the cinematic, soaring opener “Song of the Lake” to the grandiose title track “Wild God,” which evokes a sense of a deity’s proclamation from somewhere as wild and untamed as Iceland’s tectonic plates. Among the waves of choruses, strings, and keys, standout tracks like “Frogs” pulse with life, as Cave invites an amphibian to “hop inside my coat” during “the Sunday rain.” The song evokes a nostalgic charm, reminiscent of summer’s scent in the midst of winter.

Listeners also get a glimpse into Cave’s more intimate thoughts in songs like “Joy,” an oddly melancholic yet tender piece filled with delicate piano, ambient space sounds, and gentle horns. Here, a “ghost with giant sneakers” tells Cave: “We’ve all had too much sorrow/now is the time for joy.” It’s hard not to connect this spectral presence to his son Arthur, who tragically passed away in 2015 and inspired the poignant albums Skeleton Tree and Ghosteen. For anyone who has experienced loss, the song serves as a gentle nudge that our departed loved ones wouldn’t want us to live in perpetual sorrow.

Not every track aims for transcendence — those who cringe at the word “panties” might not appreciate the love song “O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is)” — but the overall sense of liberation and playfulness in Wild God is contagious. Produced by Cave and his long-time collaborator Warren Ellis, the album encapsulates their ongoing dialogue and boldly suggests that brighter days lie ahead.

Source: Particle News