9/10

Throughout their illustrious career to date, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have always sought inspiration from a diverse array of sources. And while personal tragedy has certainly been omnipotent within Cave's life over the last few years, losing his two sons Arthur and Jethro to individual tragedies within the last decade, he has only really explored the grief and loss he felt on his 2019 LP 'Ghosteen'. And while his latest album 'Wild God' doesn't directly reference the 2022 demise of Jethro, the feel of mourning and sorrow still plays a large part in this record's emotive direction.

Very akin to what he and his band have been producing these last few years, 'Wild God' aims to showcase some of his more euphoric and anthemic moments as it plays. Cultivating this beautifully warm and sprawling soundscape in which to lay his wondrous prose upon, Cave finds himself in a beautifully warm and inviting guise as he looks to add this larger-than-life element to his newest collection, breathing a sense of true life into his already absorbing repertoire to date.

It certainly feels like a bold and confident step forward within his aesthetic when you compare it to his more recent material. 'Wild God' sounds like one of those festival headliners releases, one that would suit a slowly setting sun across an open field. It certainly sounds like Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are not dampening their progression for anything right now.