CD Review Grinderman

Grinderman 2 (Mute)

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CD Review: Grinderman

Nick Cave can be quite a musical, and lyrical, contradiction. Just try listening to the beautiful ‘Into My Arms’ (from 1997’s The Boatman’s Call) and the raucously, noisy, blackly humorous desperation of ‘No Pussy Blues’ (from Grinderman’s 2007 self-titled debut).

While Cave’s career in the excellent Bad Seeds has seen him veer from the darkly romantic to the macabre horror of his Murder Ballads, Grinderman is very much him letting off steam, turning the volume up and just rocking like a bastard.

Any fan of Cave’s previous work won’t need telling that the results are predictably fantastic. Working from a blues-inspired template, the themes veer from the darkly sexual, to sheer violence, to religion, but it’s all done with an amazing sense of fun. The band (all of whom also make up The Bad Seeds) clearly relish the raw energy and freedom of Cave’s more simplistic, guitar-based songwriting.

It’s precisely this exhilarating energy that makes Grinderman 2 such a delight. It’s ferocious, mean and furious, but never threatens to be miserable, morose or depressed. It’s a cathartic racket that can’t help but leave you grinning maniacally.

Posted on Wednesday 1st September 2010
TG

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