Hole "Live Through This" (1994)
Hole had lost its bassist and drummer due to (the classic musician
euphemism) "artistic differences". Long-term bandmates Courtney Love
and Erik Erlandson started writing material and auditioning new
members.
People have levelled accusations that Kurt Cobain wrote half of
this album. Certainly both bands were working on their albums
simultaneously, but given the punky abrasive sound of Nirvana's "In
Utero" and its similarity to the noisy sound of Hole's debut "Pretty on
the Inside", it's probably more accurate to say that the couple
inspired and influenced each other.
"Live Through This" certainly doesn't remind me that much of Nirvana;
the Pixies would be a closer comparison. Clean(ish) indie-rock...
almost indie-folk guitar and melodic vocals that can turn into a
complete powerful maelstrom of distortion and screams. This approach
perfectly exemplified by opening track "Violet".
Love may not be the most technically talented singer, but her voice is
so distinctive, from her vampy drawl through to her animalistic screams,
she is the star of this album.
The album would receive further attention when both Love's husband
Kurt Cobain, and Hole bassist Kirsten Pfaff both died within months of its
release. Even without that publicity though, the music is more than strong enough
to stand on its own.
No comments:
Post a Comment