Of course I know about Nick Cave, but I haven't ever really tried to get into it. The only album that I'm certain I've heard front to back is The Boatman's Call, which I remember leaving me feeling bored to death.
Murder Ballads is of course way more of a "canon" Nick Cave album, so I was interested in hearing if this could soften my view on his music.
Turns out it's not half bad. I certainly liked the general sound of the album and there's some pretty good songwriting on display here.
I can't shake the feeling that Cave is a lot in the same ballpark as Tom Waits. They're both (especially earlier in their careers) affecting these larger than life personalities; telling tales of people from the gutters and back alleys of society. In both cases, it can feel sort of cartoony, but I think Nick Cave puts in enough energy and bite that it feels more interesting than annoyingly contrived.
Still... I suspect I might like something like his newest album better. Something more grounded and heartfelt. A darkness more connected to the real world (the actual death of his son), as opposed to these over-the-top, fictional tales of assorted madmen and scum.
Notably, both Kylie Minogue and PJ Harvey make appearances on the album. I'm a fan of both, so that's neat.
For whatever reason, the song on this album that I seemed to like the most was also the longest (O'Malley's bar).
I voted "liked".
|