Over the years, Nick Cave has evolved from the riotous leader of the anarchist post-punk band The Birthday Party to a craftsman, who can be found in the office every day from nine to five working on his songs seriously. The expressiveness of his work has only become greater and the quality of his records has become increasingly consistent. The theme has hardly changed in all those years. Cave still
… sings about themes such as life, death, violence and religion, accompanied by his loyal band The Bad Seeds. If there is any question of perspective, it is often with a gloomy undertone. The twelfth studio album Nocturama shows all the different facets of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, from the lovely opener Wonderful Life and the waltz Rock In Gibraltar to the old-fashioned noisy rocker Dead Man In My Bed. The spectacle is kept until the end: the flaming and no less than fifteen minutes lasting Babe, I'm On Fire. (MS)more
