Nick Cave - Skeleton Tree / One More Time With Feeling (eng)

A few days ago, Nick Cave’s new album, Skeleton Tree, was released. This was accompanied by the worldwide screening of the documentary, One More Time With Feeling. With elevated interest, we were waiting for this day to see and hear what this huge artist had to say to us, after the tragic death of his son one year earlier.

The movie is inextricably tied to the album. It functions as a vehicle for the deeper understanding of Skeleton Tree, through the observation of the personal condition of the main creator. Every element is totally imposing to the viewer. The intense black-and-white color. The unstable shots. The embodiment of behind-the-scenes moments. And of course the presence of this enormous personality of Nick Cave himself. A presence that, probably for the first time, assumed a human form in our eyes.

Having the recording of the new album as a motive, One More Time With Feeling constitutes “a seminar for grief in a human, parental, professional and existential level”, as very accurately a friend remarked. One sentence that embodies entirely the essence of the movie!

Nick Cave transforms to speech true thoughts and emotions, utilizing his charisma in the use of the words. He impressively describes all these that everyone has felt or may feel in pivotal times of his/her life. Moments that just refuse to be let go. Moments that, like he said, “are elastic. We can go away from the event but at some point the elastic snaps and we always come back to it”. How accurate and beautiful analogy really!

Perhaps, to a large extent, he described all these that anyone would wish of not feeling. These that would be preferable to be disguised in a state of half-denial. However, Nick Cave cannot accept that. It is impossible for him to cover reality with the opaque cloak of “He will always live in our hearts”. His reality! For that, he accepts and embraces all his human weaknesses. The pain, the love, the absence. Even his ego. As a man, as an artist. “Everybody seemed kind when I was waiting in the queue to buy bread. When a man touched me on the arm and said we’re all with you, man. And you look around, and everyone in the bakery is looking at you, and you think, people are really nice, but when did you become such an object of pity?”. Or the insecurity. For his appearance, looking himself at the mirror and noticing the bags underneath his eyes. Or asking if his hair looks nice. For his voice, feeling that he is losing it. For his inspiration and his creativity that were sucked by the trauma of death.

Insecurities that need a special outside force to keep him from being finally conquered by them. And this force in this instance is called Warren Ellis. This great musician and friend seems taking the situation in the studio in his own hands. He assumes the tough role of, not leading, but creating the conditions that will let Nick Cave be himself creatively. He wrote the appropriate music, he devised the right sounds for him to step on. And of course, he handed out his precious advice that Cave was looking for all and more often.

The result is an absolutely tight, inspired and, like the movie, imposing album.

My thoughts during the day after the screening were whether Skeleton Tree could stand as a piece on its own, without the invaluable help of the image. Maybe not, having in mind that it is experiential and inseparably tied to a specific event. After many listens though, I can honestly say that it can!

At a style somewhat different than what we are used to, without the enchanting piano melodies of his. Most songs have a freer structure. Experimental sounds that surround and enhance the experience of Nick Cave’s narration. In a way, they remind us the style and approach of the early Currrent 93. With some breaks of course, during which he sings with the melodic of the, prior to this, Nick Cave (Girl In Amber, I Need You, Skeleton Tree). His voice sounds in instances broken. But with such a natural way, absolutely matching the content and substance of the album. Just like when we heard for the first time the black albums of Johnny Cash…

Skeleton Tree is, finally, a masterpiece that we will not eventually listen too often in the future. Not because it doesn’t deserve that, but because its power is too strong to let it captivate us and push us to its dark (but also some times optimistic) trails. But this is what we admire about art.

…“because someone’s gotta sing the stars and someone’s gotta sing the rain and someone’s gotta sing the blood and someone’s gotta sing the pain”…

Bad Seed Ltd, 09.09.2016