25 Most Anticipated Albums of Fall 2016

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Skeleton Tree, September 9th

Skeleton Tree follows (not far behind) the tragic death of Nick Cave’s teenage son, and the album reflects the horror of that tragedy and struggle that encapsulates the darkness that follows such horror.

"Sunday morning, skeleton tree Oh, nothing is for free In the window, a candle Well, maybe you can see Fallen leaves thrown across the sky A jittery TV Glowing white like fire Nothing is for free I called out, I called out Right across the sea But the echo comes back in, dear And nothing is for free -“Skeleton Tree”"

It may be cliche, but I first fell in love with Nick Cave after hearing the 1994 song, “Red Right Hand“. I’m not going to sugarcoat anything for you. If you’re not a Nick Cave listener, if you’re new to the band, you’re not going to ease into it. It can be like fighting through dense foliage to find the clearing in dark woods. His style is haunting, often confusing, and can be… an acquired taste.

What’s beautiful about the music are the stories told through sound and words. The lyrics sweep you into other places and spaces you had no idea you could go. With Skeleton Tree, those places are some of the darkest in Nick Cave’s mind.