Grinderman

Grinderman

(Anti-)

Record Review by Adam McKibbin

Being on the road tests even the heartiest musician, so it's natural that iconic Australian rocker Nick Cave and his scaled-down Bad Seeds touring lineup (drummer Jim Sclavunos, bassist Martyn Casey, and violin maestro Warren Ellis) would eventually come home and decide it was time to exorcise some serious sexual frustration. Enter Grinderman, a primal and libidinous garage-rock quartet that feeds Cave's taste for dark comedy, theatrical swagger, and tales of desperation.

Cave learned how to play electric guitar for the album, and his reckless and raw style serves as a crucial component, particularly when it seems that his instrument may get away from him altogether. Grinderman celebrates the loss of control, as on exuberant standouts "Depth Charge Ethel" and "Honey Bee (Let's Fly To Mars)"—the first a jittery stomper, the second an organ-propelled come-on. Lead single "No Pussy Blues" chronicles—both musically and lyrically—the escalating anguish caused by the plight suggested in its title.

Though some tracks, such as "Love Bomb," succumb to a sort of bar-room anonymity, Grinderman never becomes a mere lark—to emphasize the point, a few pensive and compelling downtempo songs are slipped in amidst all the amplified testosterone.