Nocturama

Having recorded Nocturama at break-neck speed, and with the Blockheads working on three tracks, Cave has created a feisty record that mixes edgy spontaneity (the 15-minute, 43-verse "Babe I'm On Fire") with heart wrenchingly tender ballads such as "Still in Love". Possibly Cave's most diverse album to date, fusing his many moods, paces and styles, it stands as a good representation of the diversity of the Antipodean crooner's work.

The opener "Wonderful Life" is Cave at his charming, evocative best, building around a rousing piano and mesmerising bass. "Dead Man in My Bed" sees him in hilariously sardonic mood, chaotically taking on the role of a woman bemoaning the shortcomings of her pathetic partner. But within this splendid musical range lies a breathtaking peak in the form of "Bring It On", which features a duet with Chris Bailey, singer with renowned pre-punk outfit The Saints. Its heartstopping beauty is nothing short of life affirming. --Chris Barrett

The album's first track, "Wonderful Life", builds layer by layer, winding around a fluid bassline. The song centers around the chorus "It's a wonderful life, if you can find it". Cave's deep, sad voice seems skeptical that anyone but the lucky few can achieve anything near happiness. The musicians create a hauntingly beautiful sound which perfectly accompanies Caves lamenting vocals.

From the Birthday Party's demise in the early eighties and The Bad Seeds rising from the ashes in 1983 Nick Cave and his band have toyed with an esoteric melodrama understood only by those who see beauty in sadness. Some 20 years later, Nocturama sees Cave come of age. Songs like, "Dead Man In My Bed", which can be seen as a blistering return to their thrashy rock 'n' roll days, with Cave as the preacher of fire and brimstone.

There are also songs that feature the familiar Bad Seeds themes of love and death but here the winning motif seems to be an uneasy acknowledgement of the presence of love. "Rock of Gibraltar" celebrates the bittersweet endurance of love against the odds but, typically, is still tainted by the possibility of betrayal.

He has the freedom and confidence for the epic final track "Babe, I'm On Fire" to contain 43 verses and to last for 15 emotionally charged minutes. Here, the incredibly talented Bad Seeds are all given a chance to run riot with their various instruments. Guitars, drums, violin and percussion all vie for attention while Cave's strained vocals struggle, but ultimately succeed, in keeping pace with his wild musicians. Simply a fantastic and enthralling end to a superb album. --Dan Tallis

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