Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Ghosteen | Album Review 💿

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds shine brightly on Ghosteen, one of the most gorgeous, haunting, and intriguing albums of 2019. 

On my year in review list, 25 Best Albums of 2019, I made the comment that likely, a number of folks hadn’t heard one of 2019’s most gorgeous albums.  That critically acclaimed, gorgeous album, Ghosteen, arrives courtesy of singer/songwriter extraordinaire, Nick Cave (& the Bad Seeds respectively). Ghosteen followed up another marvelous album by the collective, Skeleton Tree, which I pegged as the 2^nd best album of 2016, only behind Beyoncé’s Lemonade mind you.  Ghosteen is another brilliant addition to Cave’s amazing discography, not to mention a must-hear LP. Reasons for the success of Ghosteen include its deliberate pace, sound, overall vibe, and the lyricism and themes.

According to Nick Cave…

In his Red Hand Files newsletter (per NME), Nick Cave asserts the objective was to make Ghosteen an uplifting and jubilant affair.  He specifically responds to a fan:

We wanted each song to feel as if it were climbing toward an exultant and euphoric state, for the record to be a vessel that transported the listener far away from the word and its troubles, and that it lived in the jubilant and hopeful beyond.

That’s deep… Cave expounds more on the “haunted” nature of this project, which is perceptible from an initial listen.  In the NME article, he states in reference to the haunted vibe, “Perhaps the songs become a kind of free-floating conversation with the spirit world, buoyed up by the absence of the ones we love.” The background and conception of Ghosteen is sufficient in itself to affirm the #10 spot on the 25 Best Albums of 2019.  If anything, maybe #10 is too modest.

“Spinning Song”

Ghosteen is a lengthy album, approaching 70 minutes in duration.  Don’t let the length dissuade you in the least.  Sure, it runs long, but it’s difficult not to get sucked into the hypnotic nature of the album. That hypnotic sensibility begins at the top of the album radiantly with the balladry of ✓ “Spinning Song,” which masterfully references Elvis Presley, including his death: “The king in time died, the queen’s heart broke like a vow / And the tree returned to the earth with the nest and the bird…”  While the reference to Elvis is key, arguably the crowning achievement of “Spinning Song” comes on the haunting outro following three captivating verses:

“And I love you, and I love you, and I love you, and I love you…
Peace will come, a peace will come, a peace will come in time
A time will come, a time will come, a time will come for us.”

Listening to this particular section of “Spinning Song,” it’s tough as a listener not to dismiss the emotions Nick Cave likely still feels regarding the death of his own son, Arthur.  That death had a big influence on the aforementioned Skeleton Tree, particularly “Jesus Alone”. “Spinning Song,” which doesn’t seem to get the same love as the follow-up, ✓ “Bright Horses,” certainly sets the tone with its haunting, unhurried nature and softer palette of sounds.

“Bright Horses”

“The bright horses have broken free from the fields
They are horses of love, their manes full of fire
They are parting the cities, those bright, burning horses…”

Sigh, the momentum of the album continues with a candidate for the most accomplished song in many eyes, “Bright Horses.” Contributing to its excellence is a background consisting of supporting, choral vocals, strings, and the continuation of the lushness established by “Spinning Song.” As the excerpted lyrics from the first verse suggests, this another poetic, beautifully penned, and emotional record.  While horses seem to be the main character(s), the listener would be advised to read further into this, particularly with references to God and spirituality.  Arguably, this was a missed opportunity on the 51 Best Songs of 2019.

Beyond “Bright Horses” 

Each song on Ghosteen deserves its own analysis – essay-worthy to say the least.  “Waiting for You” continues the colorful lyricism, particularly the spiritually driven second verse involving a priest, a “Jesus freak on the street,” and faith.  ✓ “Night Raid” manages to cleverly encompass Jesus (his death, Room 33), songwriting (“I slid my little songs out from under you”), and sex. One of my personal favorite lyrics: “They annexed your insides in a late-night raid.”

Later, the incredibly haunting ✓ “Ghosteen Speaks” offers some unique synth and choral vocal work and seems to find Nick Cave reflecting on the death of Arthur. “Well they’ve gathered here for me,” he states on the second verse, continuing, “I am within you, you are within me / I am beside you, you are beside me / I think they’re singing to be free.” Also, worth mentioning is the chilling, enigmatic ✓ “Leviathan.” The leviathan, of course, is a sea serpent; a monstrous sea creature referenced in The Bible. Interestingly, while Cave mentions the sea on “Leviathan,” he never names the creature explicitly.

Final Thoughts 

To recap, Ghosteen just might be best album of 2019 that far too few people have heard.  This review only focused on six of the 11 selections, but what should be evident is just how brilliant and complex this work is. It is another welcome addition to Nick Cave’s decorated discography – a must-hear. Reason for the success of Ghosteen are the deliberate, unhurried pace, the sound, overall vibe, and the lyricism and themes.  Similar to my comments regarding a late review of the Bon Iver album, i,i, this is a stunning album that sounds distinct of everything else released in 2019.  Don’t sleep on Ghosteen folks; carry it into 2020 and beyond.

✓ Gems: “Spinning Song,” “Bright Horses,” “Night Raid,” “Ghosteen Speaks” & “Leviathan”

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds • Ghosteen • Ghosteen Ltd. • Release: 10.3.19

Photo Credit: Ghosteen Ltd