Rating: 9 / 10

In one word, wow.

That is a perfect description for the raw awesomeness that is Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. This is a band that has been around for longer than most students at NIU have been alive, yet they just released an album that may be essential to any music fan’s top ten list at the end of the year.

The sound is hard to pin down; it seems like a garage rock version of The Smiths, with Nick Cave as the overwhelmingly better lyricist and front man than Morrissey ever was. That statement may offend some, but it is true. The lyrics take aim at the society everyone buys into, and the songs serve as an excellent springboard into Cave’s brooding imagery.

The title track, “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!” is amazing, and there is no doubt in my mind that it will blow up in the U.S. as it has overseas. There is a great chance that this album will be a stepping stone for Cave and his Seeds to a younger audience here in the Colonies.

There are themes that run throughout this album. One of those main themes is the afterlife and the different interpretations of it, from Lazarus to Houdini. Yes, this may seem really pretentious, but it works. The album sounds great from start to finish, and the lyrics make the songs even more effective.

Also, one last thing that makes this the front runner for album of the year: the diverse instrumentation. There are instruments from all over the place on this album, ranging from a lute to a viola to an organ to finger cymbals. What makes this so important is that while they use so many different methods to perform, all the songs have the same level of quality and they all stick to the motif of the album.

In short, this may be the album of the year. Try it out, you will not be disappointed.