Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Wild God
Released Aug 30, 2024 Play It Again Sam
Consensus forming 3 professional reviews Updated Oct 2, 2026
Strong critical consensus
Consensus is still forming across 3 professional reviews. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds's Wild God arrives as a late-career revelation that transforms private grief into communal uplift, and across professional reviews the record earns high praise for its blend of beauty, faith and revival energy.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
Final Rescue Attempt
1 critic mention
“the piano is key, whether quietly (as on ‘Joy’) or rousingly (the terrific ‘Final Rescue Attempt’)” — DIY Magazine
Conversion
1 critic mention
“The ecstatic cacophony that "Conversion" flames into from its hushed Ghosteen-like foundations marks the most untamed and unstoppable noise The Bad Seeds have pumped out in ages” — The Line of Best Fit
As the Waters Cover the Sea
1 critic mention
“The all-too-brief closer "As The Waters Cover The Sea" goes full gospel to craft a warm hymn that bides glad tidings to all things.” — The Line of Best Fit
Full critic consensus
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds's Wild God arrives as a late-career revelation that transforms private grief into communal uplift, and across professional reviews the record earns high praise for its blend of beauty, faith and revival energy. Critics point to a critical consensus score of 93.33/100 across three professional reviews, framing the album as both a return to widescreen grandeur and a tender meditation on loss and transcendence. The question of whether Wild God is good is answered emphatically in the affirmative by reviewers who call it a vindicated, vital addition to the band's catalogue.
Reviewers consistently highlight standout tracks as the emotional and sonic anchors: “Joy” emerges as a towering centerpiece with preacher-like delivery and choir swells, while “Final Rescue Attempt”, “Conversion” and “As the Waters Cover the Sea” are singled out for their mix of restraint and release. Critics praise the album's lush arrangements and piano-led balladry - including mentions of “Cinnamon Horses” and “Long Dark Night” - and note the record's use of gospel choirs and religious iconography to convert sorrow into communal celebration. Across the reviews, themes of beauty, faith, communion and transcendence recur, with many critics observing how earthbound energy and spiritual uplift coexist throughout the collection.
While some narratives emphasize rousing maximalism and others dwell on the careful spaces between notes, the overall critical consensus frames Wild God as a richly layered, emotionally generous record that balances tenderness with force. For readers wondering what the best songs on Wild God are, critics consistently recommend “Joy”, “Final Rescue Attempt” and “Conversion” as essential listening; the detailed reviews below map how those highlights fit into the album's arc and why the record feels like a late-career triumph.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Song of the Lake
Wild God
Frogs
Joy
Final Rescue Attempt
Conversion
Cinnamon Horses
Long Dark Night
O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is)
As the Waters Cover the Sea
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds arrive with Wild God as a record that moves past the tumults of grief into something almost celebratory, and the review clearly points to “Wild God” and “Final Rescue Attempt” as the best songs. The writer praises the piano work that quietly anchors “Joy” and rousingly drives “Final Rescue Attempt”, casting those tracks as emotional centers. There is repeated emphasis on transcendence and beauty, and the titular “Wild God” is singled out as a fantastic, ebullient centerpiece. This voice remains awed and attentive, framing the best tracks on Wild God as moments of communion that turn grief into something luminous.
Key Points
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The title track “Wild God” is the album's emotional centerpiece, praised for its ebullience and sense of communion.
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The record's core strength is transforming grief into transcendence through piano-led arrangements and luminous songwriting.
Themes
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Critic's Take
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds sound unlike anything else on Wild God, equal parts earthbound mischief and bruised spirituality. The reviewer salutes the album’s best songs, notably “Song of the Lake” with its repeated refrain of "never mind, never mind" and the mighty second single “Frogs” that lets you "breathe again". He singles out the epic “Joy” as Bad Seeds 3.0, a preacher-man bellow magnified by a celestial choir, while piano ballads like “Cinnamon Horses” and “Long Dark Night” prove further highlights.
Key Points
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The best song moments like “Joy” and “Frogs” combine epic scale with giddy vitality, making them standouts.
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The album’s core strengths are its blend of earthbound energy and wounded spirituality, expressed through powerful refrains and intimate piano ballads.
Themes
Critic's Take
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds pivot from their recent grief-soaked quietude to a startlingly vibrant Wild God, where the title track and “Conversion” stand out as the best songs on Wild God for their combination of elegant restraint and roaring release. The reviewer revels in the album's widescreen, choir-laden maximalism yet insists the band still prize the spaces between notes, making “Cinnamon Horses” another best track for its haunting, pretty cosmic gospel. The final trio - notably “O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is)” and “As the Waters Cover the Sea” - seal the record's emotional arc, turning grief into celebration with heart-stopping poignancy. Overall, the record reads as a late-career vindication, equal parts force and tenderness, and these best tracks exemplify that tensile balance.
Key Points
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The title track is best for its mix of elegant restraint and forward momentum.
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The album's core strength is converting long-held grief into widescreen, choir-driven uplift and poignant closure.