Grinderman is and isn’t Nick Cave at the same time. The faces may be the same – Grinderman’s cast is populated solely by members of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – the costumes are different. While Cave and the Bad Seeds are certainly rock musicians, their oft-furied instrumentation are often overshadowed by Cave’s favourite lyrical pastime – yelling at God. But on Grinderman 2, as much a sequel to 2007‘s self-titled debut Grinderman as possible, Cave and his posse let themselves shed the self-awareness present on so many Bad Seeds tracks, and give themselves license to rock, heavily and free of all inhibitions. Opener “Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man” lulls you in sparse, melancholic plucking, before pulling the curtains back for the real show – ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Mr. Cave’s Axefest. Sit back, relax, and let the shredding guitar tear into your brain. Cave’s obsession with religion is still evident on tracks such as “Heathen Child,” his lyrical topics branch out to critiquing popular culture, and what could be interpreted as a series of bizarre pick-up lines. “Who needs a record player? You are my record player!” (Anti-, www.anti.com) Brietta O’Leary
Winnipeg music & culture since 1989