MUSIC REVIEW: The Birthday Party - Prayers on Fire (1981)

Bernhardt: Syncopated drum patterns banging in the background, dead, cold bass lines accompanied by piercing guitars and dissonant keyboards, while a maniac shouts cryptic poetry on top. Pure genius.
The Birthday Party was Nick Cave's (of the Bad Seeds fame) first musical project, and instead of the somber, crooning delivery he would become known for, he goes for a theatrical, often goofy voice here, which fits the band's sound - a sort of cross between tango, strip club music and post-punk - perfectly.
The creativity of the group shines through the whole album, in songs like the opening Zoo Music Girl, a dissonant piece of unbridled energy built upon a tribal beat, which at times borders on cathartic. The same atmosphere is succesfully reproduced in Cry and Dead Song, among others.
Slower, darker numbers include Nick the Stripper, which, with its sinister rhythm and showtuney trumpets manages to effectively convey disturbing images of the titular character; or Just You and Me, a tale of murder and insanity set to a pounding groove.
Everything sounds filthy, perverted, with a touch of black humour (read the lyrics, they are essential to the appreciation of the album) and buffoonish spirit. It is not only the successfully achieved mood that makes Prayers on Fire such a thrilling listen though, but also the consistently memorable songwriting and clever instrumental arrangement. For fans of post-punk and gothic themes, or simply creative music with a dark edge, this is a must. A

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