In its heyday Nirvana would end live shows in classic rock style by smashing up instruments, sometimes to a guitar freak out called Nameless Endless (which kind of has to be seen to be believed). Being Nirvana, this began as an over-the-top squall of noise, the rawest slab of guitar scream smacked up against a lush melodic and coolly enticing chorus — a screech versus a lullaby. Back and forth, as relentless as windshield wipers.
That spirit can be found today in a tribute of sorts from one of the best of today’s young rockers, Courtney Barnett from Australia, in her song Nameless Faceless. Barnett in an interview calls the song “poppy” and yes, to that point, it’s almost exactly three minutes long, like a proper pop song, and you can understand the lyrics, unlike much of Kurt Cobain. But more importantly, it’s got that slightly nauseating chordal slide into a sludgy all-out roar of a chorus, with caustic don’t-bullshit-me lyrics, adapted from a classic feminist Margaret Atwood quote. To wit:
I want to walk through the park in the dark
Men are scared that women will laugh at them
I want to walk through the park in the dark
Women are scared that men will kill them
I hold my keys between my fingers
For whatever reason, women seem to have picked up the torch from the fallen rock star — even arena rocker Pink on her latest tour has been covering Smells Like Teen Spirit, to acclaim from audiences and critics.
It’s weird to say but it’s true: Kurt Cobain will never die.
Kit Stolz 