Nickelback
Curb

THE REVIEW

A few weeks after the release of "Dark Horse," the latest pop-rock endeavor by Nickelback, I am about to talk to you about "Curb," an album released in 1996 and the band's first official work from Vancouver after the "Husher" EP.
The reason for my foray into the past is that we absolutely need to draw a clear dividing line between the band's early works and their recent 'creations,' in short, to be clear, songs like "Photograph," "Someday," "Gotta Be Somebody" are just one side of the coin, the more visible one (unfortunately) for some time now; the past of the quartet, however, nods to grunge.
After a first listen, the first thing that is apparent is Chad Kroeger's surprising vocal prowess, more intense compared to now, often reminiscent of Cobain and Staley (Nirvana and Alice In Chains) and not only that, while still embracing the melodic and cool approach, a characteristic always present in the sound of the Canadians.

The album starts very well with "Little Friend" and "Pusher," energetic and engaging tracks that pave the way for the first great song of the album, namely "Detangler," an excellent alternative foundation and a chorus that gets memorized in two or three listens. After the dark and arrhythmic title track "Curb," we find "Where?," another great track, the first in line not to show any grunge frays but a great old-school rock. As previously mentioned, Kroeger's tone and melodies recall icons of the past; indeed, the first and only single "Fly" is proof of that. After making due safeguards and comparisons, the distorted sound heavily hints at Nirvana; only two years have passed since Cobain's death, and the influences can be felt after just a few seconds of listening. Delving into the details, even the lyrics are less predictable than present ones; in the same "Fly," Kroeger is struck by the answer his mother gives him to the question: "Where does a man go when he dies?" The answer is that after death, by flying, he can go to heaven or hell. So he chooses to kill himself with a gun (any reference is purely coincidental) to see where he flies, if he flies (wait to fly). Of course, I've allowed myself to give a personal interpretation of the text, but the lyrics and the music video (though obviously more implicitly and hidden) seem to suggest the same. Returning to the album, in "Just Four," the drums and guitar chords are almost identical to those of "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and this is a downside; however, the singing is sharp and convincing, so much so that the track will be revisited in 2001, reproduced in a softer form, and will be part of the band's most successful album, namely "Silver Side Up."
There are good performances also in the final tracks like "Left" and "I Don't Have," the latter being one of the most substantial tracks on the album and probably in the band's career.

Although at times the samples seem all too obvious, "Curb" offers excellent insights; perhaps I dare to say it falls within the best alternative rock CDs of recent years, definitely making it into my personal top ten. I must emphasize, trying not to be repetitive, that the album reflects the true Nickelback, who will gradually set aside their musical preferences and ideas over the years to make way for a pop-rock that smacks too much of commercial and predictable.
Listen to "Curb", you will not necessarily be satisfied, but you will certainly be surprised.

NB: The cover is not the original one from 1996; due to the poor success it had initially, the CD was republished in 2002, riding the wave of "Silver Side Up," released the previous year.