Five long years have passed since Nick Cave and his group, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, have put together new music. For those unaware, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have been a staple group in the music scene since the 1980s. While their sound has shifted from decade to decade, Cave’s talk-singing and the band’s tight instrumentation have remained the same. That brings us to their newest release, “Wild God,” a sprawling album that feels like a culmination of past and present. Cave does a great job of bringing together themes of loss and hope in times of personal and external crisis.

Additionally, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds bring in new explorations of instrumentation, breaking any molds they may have once been tied to. Without giving too much away, below are a few highlights from the album.

“Wild God” begins with the track “Song of the Lake,” which is like a fairy tale brought to life. The backing choir consists of children singing along to Cave’s lyrics, which brings this idea of a fantasy to the listener’s ear.

Another stand-out track has to be “Frogs,” which was one of the leading singles before the album’s release. “Frogs” is probably the closest this album gets to replicating Nick Cave & The Bad Seed’s alternative sound from yesteryears, and it does a great job of it.

Endings are always hard, and “As the Waters Cover the Sea” is the perfect way to end this album. In this track, the lyrics aren’t the dominant factor. Rather, the musical arrangement is the prime focus. Clocking in at two minutes, the song feels like a way for us to part with the world Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds created and reenter our own worlds once more.

“Wild God” is the perfect example of a late-stage album from a band that has seen many highs and lows. In its 40-minute run time, emotions flow as the listener is granted a chance to feel true introspection. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ “Wild God” is a must-listen-to album for this edition of The Hawk.