Mutiny / The Bad Seed EP

The subtle transformation from the arrhythmic romps of the Birthday Party to the gothic-blues of BP singer Nick Cave’s solo projects with the Bad Seeds can be heard on this collection of two key Birthday Party EPs. While the group’s second album, 1982’s <i>Junkyard</i>, remains their strongest, most consistent set and one of the era’s post-punk highlights, these EPs contain plenty of vital, thrilling music on their own terms. “Hands up! Who wants to die?” asks Nick Cave at the onset of “Sonny’s Burning” and the stage is set for great musical theatre. Cave’s over the top crooning-shriek isn’t for everyone, but for those keyed to his Leonard Cohen-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown nocturnal emissions, the music is nothing short of transcendent. The voodoo hump of “Wild World”, the creepy, sinister vibe of “Deep in the Woods” and “Jennifer’s Veil”, the blasted cacophony of “The Six Strings That Drew Blood” (later re-recorded with the Bad Seeds) are all essential additions to the Cave catalogue.