Mick Harvey: Four (Acts Of Love)

When Mick Harvey, co-founding member of the seminal Birthday Party and equally astounding Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, handed in his notice in 2009, he ended a 30-plus-year collaboration which birthed some of alternative music’s greatest achievements.

Citing strained relationships and a desire to reconnect with his family, the guitarist and singer seemed like a man who was at a major crossroads in his life. Over the last few years however, Mick has been steadily proving the doubters wrong, first with his production work on long-time collaborator PJ Harvey’s critically-acclaimed Let England Shake and now with his sixth solo album Four (Acts Of Love).
A stronger, more certain effort than 2011’s Sketches From The Book Of The Dead, his latest LP is a concept record divided into three acts and centred around everyone’s favourite four letter word – ‘love’. As you can imagine though, since this is a former Bad Seed we’re talking about, the album isn’t a mushy, sentimental effort. It’s as dark as it is sweet and very cinematic.
Featuring some original efforts as well as a handful of much-beloved covers of tracks by his childhood heroes including The Saints (‘The Story Of Love’) and Roy Orbison (‘Wild Hearts’), the record features some imaginative, understated arrangements. The best track is his rendition of PJ Harvey rarity ‘Glorious’ – a ghostly number, which has a menacing but measured guitar riff. Well worth hearing.

Key Track: ‘Glorious’