Nirvana
Nevermind

With "Nevermind," Nirvana definitively popularizes grunge, without compromising the depth of their music, which partly derives (and this is already a great guarantee) from having been born as "niche" music—a term that in the grunge context invariably evokes basements, beers, broken synthesizers, and other American "youthful indiscretions."

One might wonder how those kids from Seattle and its surroundings managed to generate such a musical wave of discomfort for the present times, living in a quiet place like the North American town. The answer can only come from listening to the album, which everything can be said about except that it is "just" a grunge album. It is rather a successful blend of rock, punk, blues, all infused with pop undertones that make the screeched and monotonous punk sounds catchy, correct the rock's drum outbursts, and uplift the sometimes desperate tones of blues.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” opens the dance in a manner consistent with the spirit of "Bleach," the debut album, although there is already a departure from the roughness of the previous work. Let's be clear, the acoustic power of the guitars is still there, there are the red-throat screams, but only after about twenty seconds. At the start, vocally, Kurt appears timid, attempting a melodic approach, then enchanting the listener with a hypnotic mantra, paving the way for the screams and roaring guitars. From there, a small cycle is established, which I would dare to call "almost symphonic," determined by the repeating sequence: gentle voice-mantra-guitar and vocal outburst, in a crescendo that becomes titanic and desperate in the end. “In Bloom” opens with the military-like, yet somehow liberating, beat of the guitars: but it's just the beginning. The entire piece possesses something liberating, which the initial guitar solo only anticipates. Shortly after, the guitars become dark, as if to say that the anticipated liberation must wait until the end of the struggle, an inner struggle but no less demanding. Kurt’s voice touches low tones, confessing-like, which gradually rise until reaching the peak in the chorus, the clamor of a sinner absolved and happy, yet recalling the past with a touch of regret.

“Come as You Are” is the lead song, more unconsciously pop than the others. At first, only the bass accompanies Kurt, who this time seeks higher, melodic tones, as if addressing the listener and trying to bring them over to his side: he wants to propose a journey, a journey through the spirit. Kurt knows that during the journey there will be difficulties, mishaps, misunderstandings, but everything can be overcome thanks to the sincerity he invites in the chorus. “Breed” is decidedly a piece oriented towards punk, which is evident from the first bars: drum roll, obsessive rhythm, repetitive and dark voice. But as we said, the monotony of punk is tempered by pop influences, making the piece open to occasional escapes into sweet and high tones, then falling back into the search for semitones and minor tones. “Lithium” is the most pop song of the entire album, a philosophizing anthem to madness and ugliness, in the awareness of being mediocre. The beginning, musically speaking, resembles a resigned but partly unconscious acknowledgment of one's state, which triggers a violent and sudden cheerful exultance, made of vocal screams and guitars. “Polly” is a sort of grunge serenade, which Kurt addresses to a woman, Polly, capturing her in the act of asking for a cracker.

“Territorial Pissings” recalls, in approach, the first song of the album: moderate voice, but still stronger than in “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, at the start. Afterwards, desperate and loud screams over a very rapid rhythm, concluding with Kurt’s apparent loss of voice. “Drain You” begins simply, with moderate voice and guitar, but while the former remains so and even explores high yet minor tones, the latter becomes stronger, doubling up, until voice and guitar leave space for the drums alone, in a crescendo that concludes again with guitars and Kurt's voice, hoarse from singing and accompanied by a second, almost imperceptible, supporting one. In “Lounge Act” the rock influences are apparent, in the rhythm and modulation of the guitars, with the inevitable final scream. “Stay Away” opens with perfectly aligned drums and bass, marking the frantic pace of the piece, on which the singer's voice is grafted, sometimes contained, sometimes spasmodic, ordering the listener to “stay away.” “On a Plain” is a piece in which, as often happens with Nirvana, changes in tone during the bar alternate perfectly: bars otherwise identical in intervals differ due to sudden rises or falls in tone.

“Something in the Way” is a long, epic authentically grunge ballad, perhaps in the manner of The Doors, with whom, also due to pieces like this, many have not failed to highlight the affinities.