NIRVANA - BLEACH

Debut albums are funny things. If they sound great it can be a bad sign that the band has reached its peak already. On the other hand if it sounds basic but bearable it shows signs of improvement. Truly great artists get past those first album blues and produce material that has diversity and quality. And Nirvana are probably the greatest band of the Nineties, which says a lot considering they came to an end in 1994!
Well back to the review. If you like your pretentious indie bands who make five minute songs out of material barely worthy of a status quo reunion gig then quit reading now. Nirvana didn't believe they were nobody, but at the same time wanted to stand up and shout whatever they wanted. They weren't vague, they played musical instruments. Yes fancy a singer playing a guitar. I want you to go out and listen to this album yourself, my job isn't to act like a anally retentive guy telling you my opinion is right.

Remember you are the judge.
This album packs a hell of a lot of raw power and has some really interesting songs. Songs that are thought provoking partly because Kurt Cobain's vocals adjust and change according to the guitar. Giving some deliciously distracting songs! Some of my favourites are Floyd the Barber, Paper Cuts, Negative Creep and Mr Moustache.

This album has a kind of rawness and feeling that needs to be heard. Like in Negative Creep, which is a song of few words yet you feel it could run for longer without complaint. Although all of this adds up to a great album, it also equates to a certain repetitiveness and predictability that makes it feel stale towards the end. To listen to a Nirvana album without these defects may I suggest the album Nevermind.
But the intensity lasts only as long as your interest. For although his songs sound great it can be anyone's guess what they are actually about. This is not a masterpiece but it is an excellent debut album, which was a foreteller of the things that were to come.
I believe in the saying less is more, if you listen to Bleach you may just understand what I mean.

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3.5/5