Album Review | ‘Pretty On The Inside’ by Hole
Courtney and crew debut their unforgiving grunge sound
Courtney Love is a polarizing and yet still magnetic personality in the realm of rock music. Her gravity garnered her time with bands such as Faith No More and Babes in Toyland before forming her own group in 1989.
Love would gain former long-time lead guitarist Eric Erlandson after placing an ad for musicians in a local newspaper. She would experiment with various members before landing punk-scene drummer Carolyn Rue and bassist Jill Emery. From there, their slow rise out of the Seattle underground began.
Signing to Caroline Records and working alongside Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, Hole would release their debut, unforgiving album Pretty On The Inside in 1991.
“Teenage Whore” comes in hot ready to peel the paint off the wall with its punk/metallic raw edge. Love’s ragged vocals rip right through the thorny guitar work put on by Erlandson. She grabs your face, challenging you to continue your judgment of her ways to get the attention she so desperately desires, “I said ‘I feel so alone and I/ I wish I could die/ I’ve seen the things you…
