Afghan Whigs - My World Is Empty Without You (Sub Pop, 1991)

Jaw-dropping Motown cover.

Before turning their attention to 'Come See About Me', Afghan Whigs had dropped this frazzled, broken and pleading soul/grunge bomb.

The beat is a threatening rumble, the bass a low-slung metallic clang and Greg Dulli's vocal is one of tears and desolation. Periods of restraint and introversion are followed by the guitars cutting loose, creating a storm of emotional interference.

Splendid.

Download Afghan Whigs - My World Is Empty Without You (Motown, Sub Pop, mp3) (Divshare)

Brad - Buttercup (Epic, 1993)

A guilty, post-Grunge pleasure.

I think Brad was some sort of Pearl Jam off-shoot and I wouldn't have heard this track if it wasn't the first track on the review copy I was sent. The rest of the album is po-faced, generic Grunge horseshit so I've only listened past this track once or maybe twice.

However, 'Buttercup' is a lilting, gently frazzled slice of soft rock that drifts by on the LA breeze.

How did they manage that?

It slides, lazily, into being on almost impossibly slow, rolling drums and a drowsy bass meander. The vocals are subtly earnest and sweet and the whole thing is just the right side of comatose and "Blues-y".

Happy Sunday.

Download Brad 'Buttercup' (Grunge, alternative rock, mp3) (Mediafire)