Ghosteen

by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

Ghosteen cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 4 October 2019
  • Label: Ghosteen, Bad Seed, Ghosteen Ltd
  • Country: Australia
  • Length: 1:08:10
  • Community rating: 4.19/5 from 22 ratings

Artists on this release: George Vjestica, Martyn Casey, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Jim Sclavunos, Thomas Wydler

Album Notes & Community Reviews

'Ghosteen' is a double album that concludes a trilogy of works, shifting the band's sound towards atmospheric and ambient electronics, loops, and prominent string arrangements with minimal percussion. Produced by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, the album's ethereal soundscapes support lyrics that abandon narrative form to directly explore profound themes of loss, grief, and faith in the aftermath of personal tragedy. The recording is structured as two distinct halves, presenting a meditative and immersive experience built on the interplay between Cave's vulnerable vocal delivery and the enveloping instrumentation.

Genres

Descriptors: ambient, funereal, spoken-word, orchestral, minimal, folk, piano, confessional, spirituality

Tracklist

  1. Spinning Song (04:43)
  2. Bright Horses (04:52)
  3. Waiting for You (03:54)
  4. Night Raid (05:07)
  5. Sun Forest (06:46)
  6. Galleon Ship (04:14)
  7. Ghosteen Speaks (04:02)
  8. Leviathan (04:47)
  9. Ghosteen (12:10)
  10. Fireflies (03:23)
  11. Hollywood (14:12)

Credits

  • Nick Cave - vocals, piano, synthesizer, backing vocals, production, mixing, design, sleeve design, music by, lyrics by
  • Warren Ellis - synthesizer, loops, flute, violin, piano, backing vocals, production, mixing, music by
  • Thomas Wydler - drums
  • Martyn Casey - bass
  • Jim Sclavunos - vibraphone, percussion
  • George Vjestica - guitar
  • Augustin Viard - ondes martenot
  • Kaushlesh "Garry" Purohit - tablas
  • Ben Foster - arranged by [orchestration], conductor [orchestration conducted by]
  • Sam Thompson - arranged by [orchestration, assisted by], conductor [orchestration conducted by, assisted by]
  • Tom duBois - cover [cover art], artwork [cover art]
  • Hingston Studio - design, sleeve [sleeve design]
  • Lance Powell - mixing
  • Andrew Dominik - mixing
  • John Armstrong - mixed by [assisted by]
  • Chris Gehringer - mastered by [cut by]
  • JN-H - lacquer cut by

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