Bleach

by Nirvana

Bleach cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: June 15, 1989
  • Label: Sub Pop
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 42:41
  • Community rating: 4.02/5 from 34 ratings

Artists on this release: Chad Channing, Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, Jason Everman

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Recorded for just over $600 with producer Jack Endino, 'Bleach' captures Nirvana's formative sound, a deliberately bleak and claustrophobic fusion of sludge metal, punk, and heavy rock. Kurt Cobain's songwriting largely suppressed his pop sensibilities in favor of lyrically sparse, aggressive tracks like "School" and "Negative Creep," which reflected the raw aesthetic endorsed by their label, Sub Pop. However, the melodic structure of "About a Girl" provides a notable contrast, offering an early glimpse of the hook-driven craft that would later define their mainstream success.

Genres

Descriptors: alienation, dissonant, male vocalist, noisy, rhythmic, violence, distorted, lo-fi, abrasive, melodic, DIY

Tracklist

  1. Blew (02:54)
  2. Floyd The Barber (02:18)
  3. About A Girl (02:48)
  4. School (02:42)
  5. Love Buzz (03:35)
  6. Paper Cuts (04:06)
  7. Negative Creep (02:55)
  8. Scoff (04:10)
  9. Swap Meet (03:03)
  10. Mr. Moustache (03:23)
  11. Sifting (05:22)
  12. Big Cheese (03:42)
  13. Downer (01:43)

Credits

  • Kurt Cobain - vocals, guitar, writer
  • Krist Novoselic - bass
  • Chad Channing - drums, tambourine
  • Dale Crover - drums, backing vocals
  • Jason Everman - guitar
  • Jack Endino - producer, recorded by
  • Tracy Marander - photography by [front cover photo]
  • Charles Peterson - photography by [poster], photography by [inner photos]
  • Lisa Orth - design
  • Jane Higgins - artwork [execution]

More from Nirvana: full discography