Maniacal Maestro releases explorative album
Aaron Thomas
Issue date: 4/11/05 Section: Entertainment
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Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have been a prominent force in the rock scene since the late eighties following Nick Cave's departure from his aggressive punk with The Birthday Party. The Bad Seeds have proven themselves one of the most versatile of forces as well, with their tight grooves, grinding melodies, and ever changing contours in which Nick Cave applies his maverick storytelling about any and everything under the sun. Releasing nearly an album a year, the collaborative of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds has gotten more soulful and mellow since their earlier and wilder days.
Nick Cave's new project The Lyre of Orpheus Abattoir Blues is an exploration of gospel styles in rock and blues with the Bad Seeds dirge grooved twist upon this ancient American tradition. Although this fad of releasing two discs because of a heavily inspired period often lacks the appeal and substance in which the artist had envisioned, The Lyre of Orpheus and Abattoir Blues, who are equally alike, as they are different, is a beautifully progressive move with two self-standing masterpieces. Cave has become a pleasantly maniacal maestro with the best band in rock today accompanying him.
The Lyre of Orpheus is Cave at his most optimistic, although achieved cynically with lyrics such as "Everything is collapsing, All moral sense has gone, It's just history repeating itself, but Babe You Turn Me on." Through light textures of piano, synthesized strings and abstract samples, Orpheus is held together by its grand gospel chorus in most of the songs. This disc is more easy listening and trance oriented than its wildly eclectic counterpart. Abattoir Blues is a more aggressive assault of roaring guitars, pulse thumping bass and rock organ while maintaining to be more gospel oriented than The Lyre of Orpheus.
Nearly all of Nick Cave's songs exceed five minutes but are never on the verge of disorganization. The length of his songs are always determent on the structure of the story in the lyrics, while the Bad Seeds rarely expose themselves with their vastly layered yet minimalistic song craft. No matter how promising each album sounds, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds rarely break any charts or gain the notoriety deserved, but still give no sign of ever slowing down.
Nick Cave's new project The Lyre of Orpheus Abattoir Blues is an exploration of gospel styles in rock and blues with the Bad Seeds dirge grooved twist upon this ancient American tradition. Although this fad of releasing two discs because of a heavily inspired period often lacks the appeal and substance in which the artist had envisioned, The Lyre of Orpheus and Abattoir Blues, who are equally alike, as they are different, is a beautifully progressive move with two self-standing masterpieces. Cave has become a pleasantly maniacal maestro with the best band in rock today accompanying him.
The Lyre of Orpheus is Cave at his most optimistic, although achieved cynically with lyrics such as "Everything is collapsing, All moral sense has gone, It's just history repeating itself, but Babe You Turn Me on." Through light textures of piano, synthesized strings and abstract samples, Orpheus is held together by its grand gospel chorus in most of the songs. This disc is more easy listening and trance oriented than its wildly eclectic counterpart. Abattoir Blues is a more aggressive assault of roaring guitars, pulse thumping bass and rock organ while maintaining to be more gospel oriented than The Lyre of Orpheus.
Nearly all of Nick Cave's songs exceed five minutes but are never on the verge of disorganization. The length of his songs are always determent on the structure of the story in the lyrics, while the Bad Seeds rarely expose themselves with their vastly layered yet minimalistic song craft. No matter how promising each album sounds, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds rarely break any charts or gain the notoriety deserved, but still give no sign of ever slowing down.
