Nocturama
After 2001's tender and tormentedNo More Shall We Part, Nick Cave'sNocturamasounds like the work of a madman spinning desperately and beautifully out of control. Since theBirthday Partycalled it quits in 1983, Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds have reframed the Party's cranky and disturbing post-punk to encompass sad blues, literary nihilism, and a kind of serenity; witnessShall We Part, and 1997'sThe Boatman's Call. Those qualities are still present onNocturama, most notably in the brokenhearted violin that winds through "Right Out of Your Hand" and "She Passed by My Window." But Cave's arrangements embrace a range of styles and textures. The 14-minute-plus noise explosion of "Babe, I'm on Fire" and the dark, wide-open pop of "Bring It On" are looser and rougher than anything since at least 1994'sLet Love In. This makesNocturamafeel messy, unpredictable, and even a little dangerous--qualities Cave's music hasn't had in far too long.--Matthew Cooke