Fans of Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd or… Elvis will recognize flashes of their favorite artists in this eighteenth studio album by Nick Cave and his Mauvaises Graines. One of the most celebrated bands of the post-punk and alternative rock era of the last three decades.
The bluish light of hope and the old soul of the Montreal singer waiting for a miracle rub shoulders with sweeping, subtle orchestrations that wouldn’t displease David Gilmour’s band, while the crooning style of Elvis pops up here and there. Add to this gospel choirs and mystic-poetic lyrics, and you have a grandiose album that, from the very first song, Song Of The Lake, draws us towards a very welcoming sky. Despite the death of two of his three sons, Nick is a melodramatic rock shaman who has now emerged from the darkness of mourning to celebrate life.
Not for nothing is one of the best songs on this album called “Joy.” It’s a song in which the artist converses with a benevolent ghost. “It could have been the title of the album,” says Cave in an interview.
The song that follows, Conversion, seems to have been blown to him from the stars by an inspired Leonard Cohen, who would like to cry out his pain at no longer being alive. Produced by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, mixed by David Fridmann, Wild God could perhaps restore faith to the most cynical of atheists. We’ll be taking communion at the Cave altar on April 24, 2025 at Place Bell.
