A new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album is always something to look forward to and this week Ghosteen entered the world. Cave has quite an ardent set of fans who look forward to each new album and recently he’s been touring his Conversation with Nick Cave show, which as the name suggests is about connecting with his fans in conversation. For those based in Europe, the 2020 tour has dates in Belgium and Germany locked in so maybe he will extend the show to other countries too.

Ghosteen was released on streaming services this week and the physical  vinyl and CD versions will be available on November 8. The new album is the final part in a trilogy, starting with Push the Sky Away (2013) and the bleak Skeleton Tree  (2016). The latter album, although beautiful was very dark and for me Push The Sky Away is the better album.

You may notice that the artwork is in a very different style for Cave with a kitsch bright fairytale scene, not at all what we’ve come to expect.  With Ghosteen, the death of Cave’s son Arthur is omnipresent and it can seem like a communion for expression and grief although there are moments of lightness too.

Ghosteen is a double album and Cave describes the first part as children and the second as their parents. In tone it’s low key filled with keyboards and ambient sounds, with no push and shove like earlier albums. For some it might be a little dirge like but it has its moments. Even though this is not the bristling, violent Cave of old,  Ghosteen   meanders poetically and I love that we can now hear a lifetime of work as an artist.  His song Into My Arms is for me one of the true classics that I will never tire of.

Bright Horses is my favourite track so far on Ghosteen although that may change on future listens as it often does. Here it is …

Notes : Featured Image from nick cave.com