As much critical thinking some fans and writers have put into Nick Cave‘s new record, and sometimes quite well, some records simply do not lend themselves to being “reviewed.” A record like Ghosteen is powerful, beautiful, ambient, moving, heavy, long and difficult to digest. Ghosteen is not something you can listen to and “tackle” in words, well, at least. It takes time, multiple listens in a variety of settings. It’s a piece of music that can be broken off in chunks and consumed independently, or in its 68 minute entirety

Nick Cave subtly referred to it as the third part of a trilogy of records starting with 2013’s Push The Sky Away and also including the droning Skeleton Tree released in 2016. In a recent Seattle stop of the Conversations with Nick Cave tour, Cave was asked about Ghosteen. His reply was rather blunt about the intention of simply releasing it with no additional context. No press release, not talking points for reviewers, forcing fans to listen deeply and formulate their own thoughts and feelings.

Certainly understanding the irony of this post, this is merely a strong encouragement to listen to Ghosteen to formulate your own thoughts and feelings.

Listen to Ghosteen