Murder Ballads by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Axel Hansson
In the twilight of the Spooky Season, when the darkness of winter comes lurking, the crimson autumn leaves start to fall and the rain patters against the windows, what better album to fit the mood than this blood-drenched, devilishly entertaining collection of songs, all circulating around the same theme: murder.
Murder Ballads is the culmination of the style and themes that Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds had indulged in all the way from the debut From Her To Eternity; a style characterized by evocative storytelling and gothic soundscapes. In a majority of early Bad Seeds songs, the interest is primarily in the violent and macabre side of the human condition, often in the form of the traditional folk subgenre of the murder ballad. The lyrics are often written from the first-person view of the murderer, and when they’re not, they take the narrative shape of folk tales, as they would be told in front of the fireplace during a cold and windy night. Before the group set off in the somber, love-yearning direction of the subsequent album The Boatman’s Call, the Bad Seeds waved farewell to their early era with an entire album dedicated to the malevolence of the murder ballad genre.
Albums seldom come more mean-spirited than this: no character in any of the ten songs manage to escape violent death. Even in those tunes where the story at first seems to take off in a different direction, like the mysteriously romantic Where The Wild Roses Grow (greatly elevated by the iconic duet between Cave and Kylie Minogue), the narrative sooner or later ends in death. In many cases, the contrast between the beautiful melodies (often accentuated by melancholic piano-playing) and the violent lyrics creates a form of morbid humor; nevertheless, there is always some kind of strange harmony between the two.
The major highlight in an album full of highlights is the penultimate song, the 14-minute masterpiece O’Malley’s Bar. In darkly humorous fashion, the song follows a man entering the titular bar and going on an unhinged killing spree, where Cave inhibits one of his most memorable characters as well as showcases a vast array of ways to die. When the 14 minutes are over and the album is wrapped up with an ironically optimistic cover of Bob Dylan’s Death Is Not The End (featuring Shane McGowan of The Pogues and PJ Harvey, among others), you can’t help but feel that it is a mischievous touch of dark humor from the band.
From the get-go, it is Cave that runs the show with his brilliant lyrics, which are filled with imagery so vivid that listening to the album is almost like watching a horror film unfold before your eyes. Sure, the melodies are beautifully composed, but no instrument ever takes the spotlight from the vocals. Instead, the particular Bad Seeds sound constitutes an eerie backdrop to Cave’s storytelling; his deep, imposing voice being a perfect fit with the gruesome narratives.
Best songs:
O’Malley’s Bar
Where the Wild Roses Grow
Henry Lee
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