I needed this on streaming platforms yesterday.
Stephen Wilson Jr. is leaning into the rock and roll side of his sound, laying down a flawless acoustic cover of Nirvana’s “Something In The Way.” I honestly can’t believe I never thought of this cover as such a perfect fit for Wilson Jr. until this video.
His picking style and gritty lyrical delivery on tracks like “Holler from the Holler” and “Mighty Beast” go hand in hand with the growl of Nirvana’s legendary lead singer, Kurt Cobain.
Wilson released an amped-up take of the 1991 hit off Nirvana’s Nevermind record.
“Hid in my headphones for years to this one. Grateful for this song & this band.”
Wilson sits in a doorway and strums his guitar. The reverb Wilson puts on his acoustic and the slap-style picking of his strings make the melody echo through the speakers and linger into the following note before he jumps into the lyrics. In the song’s original recording, Cobain has a very soft touch, delivering the lyrics with the light guitar strums in the background. It’s not until the song’s end that the sound is slightly amped up.
Wilson Jr. starts powerfully and maintains that power through his vocal delivery. However, he still holds the low bellows, similar to Cobain. Watching Wilson Jr. sing this song is incredible because he has so much passion and depth in his voice but keeps such a casual and nondramatic expression throughout the song.
“Underneath the bridge, tarp has sprung a leak
And the animals I’ve trapped have all become my pets
And I’m living off of grass, and the drippings from my ceiling
It’s OK to eat fish ’cause they don’t have any feelings
Something in the way, hmm-mmm
Something in the way, yeah, hmm-mmm…”
Wilson wraps up the cover, letting it rip on his guitar, rapidly strumming and moving his hands up and down the instrument’s neck, creating chaos before halting it all and bringing the song to a peaceful end.
And of course, the original version from Kurt, Krist and Dave: