Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Boatman’s Call

I didn’t know anything about Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, to be totally honest. It’s one of those acts that I’ve always been aware of and read about, but never crossed paths with for one reason or another. This album is his 10th, and critics considered it one of his best, so I thought it was time to jump in.

This album has a sunset feel, an old-school “I guess this is curtains for me, folks” kind of sound, and it’s very dated-sounding in 2024. It’s not quite old man yelling at clouds - it’s more like middle aged man gently lamenting the fact that clouds exist. What’s wild is the fact that it’s completely not true for Nick - in 2024 he’s still pumping out Grammy-worth music, so clearly he wasn’t slowing down in 1996 despite the weary sound of songs like “People Ain’t No Good,” which although true, sounds like the soundtrack of my grandpa’s favorite black and white movie.

I’d be very curious to learn about Nick Cave’s precious career. Was it more energetic than this? Did he ever sound young? I’ll find out on my own of course but I’m curious if anyone can enlighten me sooner than that. This album is so sleepy and church-pew dusty that it’s hard to imagine the earlier iterations of his music being any different.

From the roundup Greatest Albums of 1997.