One of 2019鈥檚 best albums offers solace, compassion
After Nick Cave鈥檚 son died in 2015, he found comfort in expressing empathy toward others. His band鈥檚 new album 鈥淕hosteen鈥� continues that theme.
Nick Cave performs at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles on April 7, 2015.
Rich Fury/Invision/AP/File
When Nick Cave鈥檚 teenage son tumbled from a cliff to his death in 2015, few would have been surprised if the songwriter had retreated from public life. The enigmatic rock star 鈥� who radiates a glowering intensity 鈥� already seemed to live in the shadows. A pioneer of literary gothic rock, he famously wears his signature black suit even when composing lyrics on a typewriter.聽
What Mr. Cave did next took longtime observers by surprise: He started talking to fans. Mr. Cave鈥檚 correspondence via his (mature content) website, The Red Hand Files, includes loving letters to individuals dealing with loneliness and body-positivity issues. By the musician鈥檚 own account, the death of his son awakened within him 鈥渁 deep feeling toward other people.鈥� This fall, the lanky Australian undertook a solo piano and audience Q&A tour 鈥� and stuck around after shows to sign autographs.聽
The latest release by Mr. Cave and his band, The Bad Seeds, continues that outreach. 鈥淕hosteen,鈥� one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2019, is about Arthur Cave鈥檚 death. Some songs play like photo albums of the family鈥檚 life before (a snapshot of them leaning out of a hotel window to watch horses in the street) and after (an image of Arthur鈥檚 grieving mother washing her son鈥檚 clothes). Yet rather than wallowing in myopic self-pity, 鈥淕hosteen鈥� offers a perspective of universal empathy. A recurring lyrical theme is that everybody has lost somebody. As Mr. Cave sings in 鈥淕alleon Ship鈥�: 鈥淔or we are not alone it seems / So many riders in the sky / The winds of longing in their sails / Searching for the other side.鈥澛�
Mr. Cave鈥檚 baritone switches between tender crooning and speak-singing in a manner similar to Johnny Cash鈥檚. On 鈥淕hosteen,鈥� his emotions are foregrounded against chiaroscuro electronics. There鈥檚 plenty of sorrow. Yet the album is often jubilant. He sees life as continuing after death. As he puts it on 鈥淔ireflies,鈥� 鈥淚 am here and you are where you are.鈥澛�
The songwriter, a theist who鈥檚 written about being profoundly influenced by the Gospel of Mark, searches biblical teachings in the lyrics. The answers don鈥檛 come easily. Still, he surmises on 鈥淲aiting for You,鈥� 鈥渟ometimes a little bit of faith can go a long, long way.鈥� 鈥淕hosteen鈥� finds more immediate solace in expressions of love in the here and now.聽
鈥淚f there is sadness in Ghosteen, perhaps it is the recognition that we are often blind to the splendour of the world,鈥� Mr. Cave wrote to a fan, explaining his desire to create an uplifting album. 鈥淚ts beauty is available to all, if only we had eyes to see.鈥�