Following up one of this year's most mesmerizing records with a last-minute live album, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have remained fully engaged as of late. Comments about aging and fine wine aside, the band have never sounded sharper and cleaner. Their restrained performance at the popular LA radio station KCRW only cements the latest phase in Cave's artistic maturity.
Given her media dominance in 2014, the songwriter's lyrics about Miley Cyrus now seem even more relevant than when they first emerged months ago, so perhaps it is fitting that the album opens with the extraordinary "Higgs Boson Blues" (wherein "Hannah Montana does the African Savannah"). This is followed by the gorgeous "Far From Me" and a period in which Cave tries to take audience requests. He ultimately lands on "Stranger Than Kindness" from 1986.
When Cave breaks into "The Mercy Seat," his most popular anthem, it receives the quiet treatment, a great distance from the terrifying soul-angst of the death row original. Although the drop in intensity might frustrate some, the grace with which Cave performs reflects the style and character of his recent work. Through the side-project Grinderman, Cave proved he can still rock as hard as anyone, but there is something to be said for his subtler side.
Live from KCRW is, in fact, almost entirely an expression of this "subtler side." "And No More Shall We Part" and "Wide Lovely Eyes" sound beautiful under the swell of Cave's croon and the subdued instrumentation that propel the songs onward. The background vocals on "Mermaids" mimic mythic siren calls before moving to the lounge piano of "People Ain't No Good."
The record ends with the haunted "Push the Sky Away" and a rousing, impromptu take on "Jack the Ripper" (the double LP release also includes two other renditions -- "Into My Arms" and "God is in the House"). With "Jack the Ripper" finally allowing the band to indulge a bit, the live recording feels complete and Christmas-ready.
Grade: B+
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