Grinderman 2
Review by Jennie Motherfucker

You think this album review will protect you? YOU ARE WRONG. The term Grinderman refers to a man of sexual prowess, a veritable potentate of carnality. In 1941 blues singer and pianist Memphis Slim lamented the burden of too many ladies on “Grinder Man Blues.” Back then however, musicians were a bit more delicate when they were taking on the topic of lechery. On Grinderman 2 however, lechery is reveled in and flaunted openly. Middle age and raucous facial hair be damned. The eponymous 2007 debut album from Grinderman had it’s moments with the mysterious moonlit drone of “Electric Alice” and the taut sexual frustration of “No Pussy Blues,” but overall the offering lacked a certain direction and could easily (or lazily) be written off as an ambitious but unpolished Bad Seeds offshoot. Therefore when word surfaced that a follow-up was in the works, especially hot on the heels of the brilliant Bad Seeds album Dig, Lazarus, Dig!, one might feel indifference but a tinge of hope and expectation at the same time. What are Nick Cave and the boys up to now?

The first hint was dropped about four months before the release of Grinderman 2 in the form of a thirty-second ‘trailer.’ The scene: a rangy wolf skulks into an opulent bathroom amidst ominous feedback. Then the words ‘Grinderman 2’ are shot onto the screen with accompanying pistol sound effects. You’re left thinking, “what just happened, and when do I get to hear more?!?” Three more trailers followed in July 2010, each weirder than the first and each letting the viewer in inch by inch with extended snippets of upcoming songs. Here come big bad Grinderman, teasing you and pulling out right before climax. Something happened between the first Grinderman album and the second....those dirty aspirations reached for on the debut had come into fruition. The big bang came in the form of the outlandish video for the first single “Heathen Child.” The five minute clip is comprised of scenes from the trailers, as well as the band dressed as Roman centurions...but if you wish to delve into that look it up on youtube.

It’s about time we get to the sleazy heart of the nine tracks that comprise Grinderman 2’s back-alley stoner rock. Emphasis on the word heart, as the swagger is not without substance. Cave’s subtle poetry as well as the band’s intuitive synchronicity might throw you against the wall and do filthy things to you, but it will remember your name the next day. This record is like an old lover; familiar and accessible but at the same time just out of reach...not enough to be alienating but certainly enough to be intriguing. This album doesn’t kick the door down immediately. The opening track, “Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man” starts out quietly, uncertain. When suddenly we’re grabbed by the throat by Jim Sclavunos’ drums; then the rest of the band kicks in full throttle to back Nick Cave’s query, “what am I doing here?” and subsequent howl. Here come the Wolfman indeed.

The rowdy fuzz rave-up of “Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man” oozes into the next track, “Worm Tamer,” a rattling, slithering ode to the fire of love. Yet at the same time there is an undercurrent of insecurity, best summarized in the line: “my baby calls me the Loch Ness Monster; two great big humps and then I’m gone.” Next up is the aforementioned first single “Heathen Child.” While this selection stands securely on it’s own, when compared to the entirety of the album it is unfortunately one of the weaker tracks despite the aural assault and catchy chorus. The album regains momentum with “When My Baby Comes,” an incredibly sexy song that hovers just above the surface and then slams into a breathtaking sonic boom. As we lie on the floor in an attempt to catch our breath, “What I Know” seeps in and puts it’s arms around us; a reflective and existential track backed by a somber acoustic guitar and keyboard effects reminiscent of the ticking second hand of the clock. Rousting us from our pondering is the second and last of the weaker tracks, “Evil.” Also the shortest song on the album at 2:57, maybe our boys just needed a little more time. The remaining three songs lift us back up and bring it on home. “Kitchenette” is a bluesy double-entendre laced foray into the joys of infidelity. “Palaces of Montezuma” is a tender piano and drum based ballad bringing us out of the cold and promising those lofty gifts that only a new lover dreams he can obtain. “Bellringer Blues” closes out Grinderman 2 with seething garage sway.

The closing chant of “I’m a soul/sole survivor” rounds out and supports the evidence that the concept of Grinderman has come fullcircle with the end result: one of those rare albums that can be listened to on repeat. So turn up the volume and hope that your neighbors are patient...or at least have good taste in music.

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