Free with SPIN magazine, Newermind is a cover of Nirvana's Nevermind with contributions from various alternative bands/artists, from Meat Puppets to EMA. Smells Like Teen Spirit is Meat Puppets' chosen track, and keeps pretty close to the original, only with an acoustic guitar and a helluva lot more gravel. In Bloom is a lot more playful than the original, with a bit of a glam-rock shimmer lightening the heart of the song but still holding onto the ironic lyrics. The second most recognisable track from Nevermind, Come As You Are, is twisted into an electronic, auto-tuned, spooky monster by Midnight Juggarnauts. Again, Titus Andronicus have stayed faithful - it's not bad, just a little forgettable. The Vaselines' Lithium is more chilled, loosing the intensity but adding a slight haunting detachment. The vocal intertwining at the bridge lifts it a little, but even still it falls flat. Drain You, courtesy of Foxy Shazam, is, like Come As You Are, adventurous, but slightly more likeable since it keeps the dynamics of the song but shifts the genre several points closer to "Weird". Jessica Lea Mayfield's Lounge Act is as haunting as hell, filling every word with venom and feedback.
The main thing that strikes me when listening to this is how good the songs are. Not the new renditions, but the originals. Nevermind isn't my favourite Nirvana album, and it never will be, but it's only when you hear them in another context that you really appreciate them. And simarlarly it's when this collection loosens up and is as creative as they were that it really shines.
6/10
Mollx
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