Skeleton Tree
by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 387 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 336 out of 387
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 387
  3. Negative: 37 out of 387
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  1. anonymous1baby
    Nov 2, 2016
    2
    Feeling too happy? Accomplished some big goal and need to come down from the heights of joy most humans aspire to reach? Well, this album will have the most perky cheerleader on the planet in a pool of tears in mere seconds. Music or singing? Nope, not much here, just a very sad man talking. Deep deep sorrow? Yep, gallons of the stuff. Is that enough to sustain a record? No it is not.
  2. RoyalGhost
    Sep 16, 2016
    2
    Skeleton Tree may contain heart wrenching lyrics, but that does not mean that is good music. I did get an unresistable senae of dread and grief from this album, but the production and instrumentals almost feel lazy, and the fact that Nick Cave himself speaks the entire album is very bland. There are a few good ambient tracks on this record, in particular Jesus Alone and Rings of Saturn.Skeleton Tree may contain heart wrenching lyrics, but that does not mean that is good music. I did get an unresistable senae of dread and grief from this album, but the production and instrumentals almost feel lazy, and the fact that Nick Cave himself speaks the entire album is very bland. There are a few good ambient tracks on this record, in particular Jesus Alone and Rings of Saturn. Both of these tracks do evoke a strong sense of emotion from me, as stated before dread and grief. But other tracks like Anthrocene feel boring and bland. So far my least favorite I've listened to this year.… Expand
  3. thedaarkbatty
    Sep 25, 2016
    0
    Could not even get through the first track. I absolutely hated this garbage. Way too much whining in the tracks. Spend your money on an album that doesnt suck so hard

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Album of 2016
35
#35 Most Discussed Album of 2016
32
#32 Most Shared Album of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
95

Universal acclaim - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. Magnet
    Nov 16, 2016
    90
    No, we haven't heard this Cave before, and though magnetic, emotive and tenderly merciful, one prays for his sake that we never hear it again. [No. 137, p.51]
  2. The Wire
    Nov 8, 2016
    90
    It feels distasteful to rate so powerful, so raw an album in any aesthetic terms and yet it brilliantly, blackly, radiates life. Skeleton Tree is a work of mourning, yes; a work of reverie, yes; and also an immensely moving attempt to reach out of blackness towards life. [Nov 2016, p.65]
  3. Uncut
    Oct 25, 2016
    90
    The songs are pillowed by vaporous electronic backing that recalls the slow-moving, aquatic drift of Push The Sky Away and the sonic explorations of Cave and Ellis' Minimalist Soundtracks. [Dec 2016, p.26]
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