Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds have always had a noir-ish quality to them. Their eighth studio album, Let Love In, is centered around a song that seems to channel this darkness like nothing else. "Red Right Hand" is the tale of a nightmarish figure that channels the perfect balance of fear and black humor. The song's organ vamp sets the tone for Cave's brooding baritone while a theremin ups the eerie qualities in the song. The rest of the album seems to revolve around various takes on love. The album is subdued and restrained but seems ready to burst from the record's grooves with "Jangling Jack." It's predecessor, "Loverman," finds the band moving with ease between these two moods. Dark and mesmerizing, Let Love In is the perfect soundtrack for your torrid love affair.

• music label: Mute 1994 / 2015

reviewed by Hank Ohs 03/2015