“Such things should never happen, but we die / The swallow finds an oak to nest her young / Defenseless between the Earth and the sky / Uncounted beneath the vast, indifferent sun.” These poetic lyrics, intoned by Nick Cave over saintly instrumentation, are just a taste of Seven Psalms, a new spoken-word album previewed in April by the beloved Bad Seeds frontman. If you’re a Cave follower hoping for ominous gothic rock serenades in the vein of “Red Right Hand,” (a track made famous by the Scream movies and as the Peaky Blinders theme song), you may be surprised to learn that there’s no deep-baritone crooning to be found here. Much like the first half of “White Elephant” from 2021’s Carnage, this seven-track opus is all thought-provoking talk over music co-written by longtime collaborator and Bad Seeds bandmate Warren Ellis, marking their second musical project as a duo. Much like their previous outing, this project also sprung to life during the pandemic. “While in lockdown I wrote a number of psalms, or small, sacred songs—one a day for a week,” Cave said in a statement about the new LP. “The seven psalms are presented as one long meditation—on faith, rage, love, grief, mercy, sex, and praise. A veiled, contemplative offering borne of an uncertain time. I hope you like it.” Thanks Nick, we’re sure we will. [Gil Macias]
