Hole - Nobody's Daughter
Review by Jack Foley
COURTNEY Love has never been one to pull punches and it comes as no surprise to hear a chorus built around the anthemic chant “people like you fuck people like me” as part of Hole comeback album, Nobody’s Daughter. But that’s only a good thing!
A Hole album devoid of controversy and furious punk rock moments would be worthless.
But while fears were fuelled by the fact that the band’s ‘comeback’ was only comprised of one original member (Love), and a more commercial songwriter (Linda Perry), fears are erased early on that Hole had lost there edge.
Album opener and title track Nobody’s Daughter is a classic entry point… built around towering, anthemic guitar riffs and those trademark raw, ragged, lived in vocals of Love’s. It’s a killer entry point that sounds both cutting edge and reminiscent of Hole’s glory days, circa Doll Parts and Celebrity Skin.
Admittedly, the album as a whole struggles to consistently reach such highs… but 12 years is a long time, especially when you’re changing personnel so radically.
And with Love at the helm, the spirit of the original line-up remains intact, as does the raw honesty and the punk power.
Skinny Little Bitch is a no-nonsense grunge rocker that recalls the audacity of L7 as well, while the aformentioned Samantha (with its “people like you” chorus) builds from a soft-rock opening into its vitriol-laced outro.
Loser Dust, meanwhile, is a straight-ahead garage rocker that feels like a Clash-inspired throwback.
That said, the album isn’t just about power and Hole mix the slow-burners with mid-tempo offerings that retain a mainstream appeal. Diehard fans may lament this, but it makes for a fuller all-round listen.
In this case, it’s worth listening out for the acoustic-laced Honey, which slow-builds provocatively, Pacific Coast Highway, the band’s stab at a road-trip anthem, or the brooding Someone Else’s Bed, which has a more bluesy feel and a nicely bitter vibe.
There’s also the heart-on-sleeve moment Letter To God, where Love strips things right back and pours out her heart to the Big One with lines like “I’m sitting here simply trying to figure out what my life’s all about, can you tell me” and “I never wanted to be the person you see… I always wanted to die, but you kept me alive, can you tell me who I am?”
Hole’s comeback is therefore a resounding success… a gritty but likeable listen that was worth the 12-year wait.
Download picks: Nobody’s Daughter, Honey, Samantha, Skinny Little Bitch, Someone Else’s Bed, Letter To God
Track listing: