Nick Cave: Skeleton Tree

Matt’s Random Record Rite-Up

I am not an eloquent writer, in fact I’m not at all comfortable writing. I am, however, going to occasionally attempt to write a few scribble scrabbles about a random record that I listen to. My punctuation may be off and my grammar will be questionable at best just like that last sentence. So here goes..

There are many things that have changed in my life in recent times and it has opened up my ears in some unexpected ways. Anyhow this is my first entry and I chose one of my wife’s records, Skeleton Tree by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds which seemed appropriate for a first entry into Anthrocene.  I am only familiar with some of Nick Cave’s music but know he is a brilliant writer and lyricist. It is also the first time I have sat down and listened to this record from start to finish.

The needle hit the vinyl and it immediately dawned on me that this is the album Nick Cave wrote a couple years ago after the death of one of his twin sons. Having just experienced loss in my own life, the death of my mom on Christmas eve, I was emotionally primed for this listening experience. 

The haunting tones of ‘Jesus Alone’ introduce the heavy, deep and dark theme of the album. Unexpectedly my eyes began to well-up during ‘Girl In Amber’ and by ‘Magneto’, the last song on side A, I had tears.. unexpected. Heart wrenching vocals. Intricate simplicity, tangible emotion. Lines like “All the things we love we lose” and “Nothing really matters when the world you love is gone” help to make the sadness inescapable. ‘Distant Sky’ provides some emotional relief and much needed resolve comes at the end of the album in the last song, the title track ‘Skeleton Tree’…

“It’s alright now, it’s alright now..”

Well that was fucking heavy, amazing record but really heavy.. fit my mood perfectly.

That’s it, gonna keep it simple. Maybe my next Random Record Rite-Up will be on the lighter side.. we’ll see.

Peace!