GRINDERMAN GRINDERMAN ALBUM MUTE, EMI RELEASE: MARCH 7, 2007 REVIEW: MARCH 19, 2007

Those only familiar with the calmer side of Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds – as represented on "The Boatsman’s Call" and forward – might be puzzled by the Grinderman project.

Let me explain. This is what happens when Old Nick and a few of his Seeds – namely Martyn Casey, Warren Ellis and Jim Sclavunos – decide to go searching for what made them bad on the first albums. Decide that it is OK to be grumpy middle aged men and give it an outlet by locking themselves up in something that sounds like a garage, where they plug their collective cock into an amp and give their battered, old guitar a beating like hell. They scream about not getting laid in "No Pussy Blues" and – sometimes – take yet another beer and create a few heartfelt ballads like "Man on the Moon".

We have heard some of this before – obviously, but it’s hard not to get down, "Get It on" and listen to "the words of wisdom" to this gothic, Cramps-like, blues that I’m a bit surprised that Nick Cave still had in him.

It’s not very lean, but Grinderman sure as fuck are mean and keen to blow our brains out. Let them. It’s simple music that won’t change the world. But it will rock yours for as long as it takes to listen to this set of eleven, half finished – in a nice way – songs.

KALLE MALMSTEDT