After a static and fuzz-swept two-album run with Grinderman, Nick Cave returns to introspective and somber musings of romance and memory with his Bad Seeds outfit. Push the Sky Away marks the first new Bad Seeds album in five years and sees the departure of Cave's longtime collaborator and equal, Mick Harvey. The album feels as though a reset button has been pressed, resulting in an eerily reminiscent The Boatman's Call offering. Cave finds the beauty in minimalistic presentation, while regaling his endless referential catalogue, from Wikipedia to Hannah Montana. All the mutterings and disjointed piano and guitar audiences have come to expect from Cave are present, but there is an unavoidable feeling of setting out to sea at dusk with no course set.
★★★★ (out of 5 stars)
