Sketches from the Book of the Dead

Sketches from the Book of the Dead is the fifth studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Mick Harvey, released in 2011 through Mute Records.^[3] The album is Harvey's first solo release following his departure from Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds in 2009 and the first to only feature original material.^[4] The album's songs explore the themes of death and passing, with "October Boy" being a homage to Harvey's former bandmate Rowland S. Howard, who died in 2009.^[5]

Sketches from the Book of the Dead
Studio album by Mick Harvey
Released	2011 (2011)
Studio	Grace Lane Studio and Atlantis Sound, Melbourne
Genre	Pop, Rock
Length	41:00
Label	Mute
Producer	Mick Harvey
Mick Harvey chronology
Two of Diamonds (2007) Sketches from the Book of the Dead (2011) Four (2013)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	70/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"October Boy"	3:27
2.	"The Ballad of Jay Givens"	5:08
3.	"Two Paintings"	3:49
4.	"Rhymeless"	3:14
5.	"Frankie T. & Frankie C."	4:04
6.	"A Place Called Passion"	4:15
7.	"To Each His Own"	2:14
8.	"The Bells Never Rang"	4:04
9.	"That's All, Paul"	3:11
10.	"How Would I Leave You?"	4:32
11.	"Famous Last Words"	2:36
Total length:		41:00

All tracks are written by Mick Harvey.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.^[6]

• Katrina Beale – paintings
• Mick Harvey – bass, composer, cover layout, guitar, organ, percussion, piano, producer, vocals
• David McCluney – engineer, mixing
• Gustav Pillig – cover painting
• Wez Prictor – mastering
• J.P. Shilo – accordion, guitar, violin
• P.A. Taylor – cover layout
• Xanthe Waite – backing vocals
• Rosie Westbrook – double bass