=6 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Skeleton Tree

Sigh… Not many jokes I can make here…

‘Skeleton Tree’ was probably the best reviewed album of 2016, and richly deserves all of the plaudits

There’s nothing I can say about it that hasn’t already been said and written by, like, proper writers, so far better than any cheap quip or dated cultural reference I could muster

The album was mostly written before the death of Little Nicky’s teenage son, so although a lot of these lyrics were never intended as reactions to the tragedy, but context has conspired against it and demanded that each line be investigated through this new prism

‘Skeleton Tree’ is arguably not on the very top tier of Little Nicky albums- though probably his best since ‘The Lyre of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues’ in 2004- but it received the best reviews of his career by some margin. I think it marks the official turning point, the face turn for Little Nicky, when he stopped being a cult icon with a devoted fanbase and started being rightfully regarded as one of the most accomplished songwriters of his generation and a legitimate icon

It seemed that people have finally caught up to the fact that Little Nicky is able to combine audacious artfulness and experimentation with an unparalleled ability to write perhaps the most beautiful music imaginable. And, of course, throwing out the odd banger. Very much like, yes, David Bowie and Prince

obviously

I introduced that RIP GIF for every time I mentioned Him early on in this list, and I quickly realised how laborious that would be so generally don’t mention his name now

Never forget though, I was into him way before any of you chumps

https://shop.nickcave.com/

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