Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' true returning to form

One of the present days' most unusual and even strange artists Nick Cave became the leader of band Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds back in 1984 and since then him and multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey remain the only collective's constant members and the rest of the line-up has changed several times. Yet these changes have not prevented the band from becoming one of the most successful on the alternative rock scene and its 1996’s album Murder Ballads, on which there were hits Henry Lee, a duet with PJ Harvey and the eternal anthem of all sullen romantics Where the Wild Roses Grow performed with Kylie Minogue still remains the favorite record of many fond of its unique music. This spring, however, the things may well change. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' 14th full length album with a title referring to a biblical story Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!, has become a true returning to form in all respects: the amazing darkish music, sophisticated and often contradictory lyrics not devoid of sense of humor and of course Nick Cave's incomparable voice have done their job.

Each song on Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! is a definite short story

The album consisting of 11 tracks has become the first since the departure of guitarist Blixa Bargeld from the band and is recorded by the same musicians as a successful double album Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, and the instruments present include guitar, piano, organ, harmonica, percussion, violin and a type of mandolin called bouzouki. The greatest part of the record consists of mid-tempo songs on with subtle but always complicated tunes and each presents a definite short story. The album opens with the first single and title track Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!, a funny rhythmic composition on which a story of a certain Larry is told who has lost his mind and built a cannon to destroy New York and Los Angeles, while song Today's Lesson pleases with a great bass line and beautiful metaphors in the verses. A calmer song Moonland has become the saddest and most desperate track on the album, and a story told on Albert Goes West is filled with broad hints on sex and parts of the body. One of the most intellectual songs on the record is We Call Upon The Author on which various names of writers and poets are mentioned, and the band gets the closest to a true song on Jesus Of The Moon but even here the story is not that simple for the protagonist is experiencing the inner struggle between faith and temptation. Raged and indignant Midnight Man is refined with a powerful chorus, and the closer More News From Nowhere is the longest composition on the album lasting almost eight minutes and pleasing with a contagious tune underlined by first class percussion and Cave's velvet vocals.

Nick Cave's unique personality is in the center of attention

It goes without saying that today when Nick Cave is 50 years old he is once again different from the others for instead of resting on his laurels he and his band release easily the best creation in the last decade, and one of the best of the alternative rock lately. Record Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! offers all the best that characterizes Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' creative work, from the instrumental background to the original texts, and Nick Cave's unique personality is once again in the center of attention. He has written the songs in which a lot of strange characters like Mr. Sandman or Miss Polly – probably a reference to PJ Harvey – are present and they are only a small part of what his rich and mysterious imagination is able to invent. Speaking about the sounding of the album it has some elements of garage rock which is more typical for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' side project Grinderman (with some members of the band involved and sometimes called mini-Seeds) but everything you like about Nick Cave's music is on Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! Only one band makes moments that technically are supposed to be scared sound on the contrary funny and life-affirming, and hopefully it is not its last creation.