Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds — Skeleton Tree ANALYSIS & REVIEW
Published 09/29/2016
Regardless of how it was shaped, the register it was in, or the importance it was given, the melodies on this album are all extremely heartfelt and touching. Cave found a brilliant way of speaking to his audience though his simple melodic deliveries. The effect that these slow and touching lines gave to the music as a whole was something truly special. I especially enjoyed the pace of the melodies. If a musician has a lot to say, sometimes the words get too jumbled with an awkward delivery or a speed that doesn’t work with the rest of the music. While there was a lot to say on this album, Cave still kept his wordiness to a minimum and gave each melody time to breathe and be itself. This was especially true in the first three songs on album. It was definitely a great decision on “Rings of Saturn” to go into more of a speaking voice. The melody was still there in the rhythm of his delivery, and he could get everything out without being rushed.
The only thing that I missed throughout the album was a dramatic melodic shape that could match the drama of the rest of the music. The melodies were nice and delivered well, but the line itself rarely had that spark of brilliance to drive the message home or give the listener something to fully grasp. In context, the melodies set a wonderful somber mood that carried through the album, but could have done more rising and falling to emphasize the emotion. Still, they hit you hard in the soft spot. There aren’t any great hooks, but that doesn’t stop Skeleton Tree from being a great album.
Most of this album is a textbook example of how musicians don’t need complexity to be creative. Bits of harmonic genius flowed effortlessly through each song while still being recognizable and easy to follow. The song “I Need You” showed how cool and powerful the two simple chords of I and IV can be. This band did a great amount of elaboration and experimentation with normal chord progressions, which is especially impressive considering they were working within a slow and soft atmosphere. Many times have I heard harmony turn to mush when the musician tries to write deep and reflective music; not the case at all with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
The best part about their base of simple chord structures is that, from time to time, they are actually able to surprise the listener with small deviations and shifts. These small harmonic shifts happen most notably in the choruses of “Jesus Alone”, “Girl In Amber”, “Anthroncene”, and “Skeleton Tree”. They keep the music simple but still continue to give it life. To go the next (and highest) level, I felt as though the harmonies could have had more presence in important parts of the songs and given the melodies clearer support as a whole. “Anthrocene” had harmony that did indeed present itself well and gave direction to the rest of the parts. While it was never matched, the rest of the harmonies were still exceptionally creative.
The effectiveness of the timbre on Skeleton Tree is truly what separates it from albums of its kind throughout the history of Rock. Through and through, the sound was beautiful and brilliant. Whether it was an electronic keyboard subtly providing overtones, an upright piano emotively accenting the melody, or bells chiming in the background, this band found a way to get the most out of the atmosphere they wanted to set.
What pushed the timbre into the realm of incredible were the backup vocals that came in an out of the album. They provided incredible melodic support, wonderful atmospheric touches, and dramatic effect that worked perfectly in tandem with the lyrics. At times the music felt a bit heavy with the techno style, which could have been thinned out, especially in “I Need You”.
Nevertheless, most every sound that was heard had a purpose and met the goal of creating a beautiful setting. “Girl In Amber” and “Distant Sky” have two of the most beautiful timbres you’ll hear all year. This was absolutely remarkable, especially coming from a band that was never really touted on their use of timbre in the first place. The musicianship of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds comes out most evidently in the timbre, and they don’t disappoint whatsoever.
Has 2016 produced a more emotional and heartfelt album than Skeleton Tree? Not from what I’ve heard. Coupling that with an already strong and intelligent fan base makes this album an incredibly important one. Its influence is really what takes it from being solid to being great. This album puts Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in the spotlight, a place that they haven’t yet been to in their career to my knowledge. Skeleton Tree will grow their fan base and give them new ground to launch other musical works from. For those seeking music to give emotional gravity and enlightenment to them, this album is second to none in new works today. This was not only a groundbreaking album for the band, but also groundbreaking for musicians that wish to create something emotionally dense. Few musicians have had it to the degree that this album has in today’s music world. Hopefully more like it will follow.
