Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Live from KCRW

Following the Grinderman years, Nick Cave is back with the Bad Seeds – a welcome as move as Neil Young back with Crazy Horse. This delightful live affair, taken from a radio concert in April, captures them at the peak of their powers. It draws heavily from their recent and acclaimed Push the Sky Away album, with Higgs Boson Blues sounding particularly impressive. (The line "Miley Cyrus floating in a swimming pool at Toluca lake" is a standout.) Wide Lovely Eyes sounds sharper than the album version and Cave's vocals, while a bit more mellow, still retain an appealingly sinister undertow. This may be a softer-sounding affair, but it's the reworking of classic material that really impresses: a saddened version of The Mercy Seat and a shiny retake of People Ain't No Good steal the show. The self-styled "coolest, baddest, motherfuckers in town" have never sounded better. nickcave.com