Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have released the first song from their new album “Push the Sky Away,” along with a slew of tour dates for 2013. It’s a good weekd for Nick Cave fans.
“We No Who U R” has a title straight out of a ransom note, but the song itself is a sorrowful batch of natural images, filtered through a blues structure and dotted with flute. Just like ‘im, ain’t it? The trudging beat may not be the best intro for the notice into Cave’s work, but for longtime listeners, it’s a strong indication of the spare sounds to come.
As I noted last week, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ current incarnation is essentially Grinderman (sans Mick Harvey), with two longtime Bad Seeds members added in. That six-piece crew has committed to a dozen or so tour dates starting in March, with Sharon Van Etten opening. Looks like a great big “Sorry West Coast” to me. Also looks like we can expect a playdate at SXSW. Tickets for announced shows go up tomorrow (Dec. 5).