Live From KCRW

Nick Cave and his group of bearded compatriots are still going strong after recording over 15 albums. In their latest offering, the band takes refuge in California for an intimate performance titled Live From KCRW, their fourth live LP.

Obviously it isn’t easy to combine almost 30 years worth of music into a 10-song setlist, but the stirring rendition of songs both old and new creates a cohesive experience for any Cave fan.

The usual octet strip back to a five-piece for this recording. The group seamlessly combine the intimacy of early ballads, such as the heartbreaker ‘People Ain’t No Good’ with the more abstract and witty tracks from their 2013 album, Push The Sky Away.

From the first chords of the Miley Cyrus name-checking ‘Higgs Boson Blues’ (with the lyrics “The rainy days always make me sad/Miley Cyrus floats in a swimming pool in Toluca Lake/And you’re the best girl I’ve ever had”) to the surprisingly welcome brashness of closer ‘Jack The Ripper’, the Aussies show the listener why they have earned the title as one of the country’s finest and most successful exports.

There are many musicians that wind up hosting daytime TV shows, but not Cave. Live From KCRW proves that Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are all still superstars.

Listen to ‘Higgs Boson Blues’ here:

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