The music is exactly what I expected, given Nick Cave and Warren Ellis's collaborations on the soundtracks of The Proposition and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (both movies, highly recommended). And also some of the dominant elements in Grinderman ("When My Love Comes Down," perhaps my favorite on the album, comes particularly to mind). It is moody, ambient(?), and richly textured... excellent mellow-out music.
In lieu of a Proposition clip, I offer this... a version of one of the better songs on White Lunar, also from the Propoistion soundtrack, mashed up with movie bits:
I got really excited when I saw that Cave and Ellis released an album, and then got really sad when I realized it was not an album but a collection of bits from their soundtrack work. Exactly what I was afraid of turned out to be the case... it lacks cohesion, and many of the tracks are short and feel uncompleted. This kind of music is really served by dwelling on a sound and an idea for a while, feeling it out and building an arc, but the bulk of this two-disk compilation feels like exactly what it is... Cave and Ellis developed a feeling for one point in a movie, crafted a minute or two of it, and then moved on to something else. It feels unfinished and unsatisfying.
But, there are a half dozen actual songs scattered across the two albums, and it is pleasant listening. I don't feel bad about picking this up, but I would definitely otherwise encourage anyone who might have been inclined to seek this out... wait to steal it from a friend.
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