Swans- "No Cure for the Lonely" (from Love of Life, 1992)
Michael Gira has without question one of the best voices in music history and his deep, soothing howls on "No Cure for the Lonely" express the pain of love and love lost better than any other. What I love about this song is its simplicity, the way that it draws you in with the acoustic guitar and barely anything else. This song proves you don't need elaborate instrumentation or studio effects to be powerful, you just need honesty.
Love Spit Love- "Am I Wrong?" (Taken from the self titled 1994 album "Love Spit Love")
I first heard this song in the movie Angus as the background song to the film's opening credits. An introspective piece of self-loathing, "Am I Wrong?" reminds us all of our vulnerability and fragility.
The Smiths- "Half a Person" (Taken from the album "Louder Than Bombs," 1987)
I mean, you knew a Smiths' song was coming, right? Even though Morrissey could make anyone cry by singing the phone book, "Half a Person" always struck a chord with me emotionally. More than any other song by the band, the guitars seem to cloud Morrissey's powerful vocals and he seems subdued in the track, giving it a sense of character and sensitivity that is deeply powerful and melancholy.
Nirvana- "Something in the Way" (Taken from the album "Nevermind," 1991)
Rumored to be an autobiographical tale of homelessness, desolation, and despair, Kurt Cobain's "Something in the Way" stands as one of the saddest, darkest, and introspective songs put to tape. Played on a cheap and broken acoustic guitar and sung with the subtlest voice, everything about this song is carefully constructed to set a somber mood. From the smooth chords of the cello, Dave Grohl's soft tapping of the drums, to the vocal harmonies, "Something in the Way" is nearly a perfect piece of sap.
- Joe