Pretty On The Inside

Hole

Britta Pietila

Happy belated Valentine’s Day, Gophers! Normally, I would select a sappy, heart-warming little album to dissect for you considering the holiday, but I am feeling extra cynical this year, so here is some Hole!

If you don’t know who Hole is, you came to the right column. The infamous Courtney Love is the lead vocalist and guitarist and her fiery and intense sound paints a jarring picture of disturbing sensual distress that builds off her lived experiences. Love’s life has been a public spectacle since her entrance into the punk scene in the 90s. This album, her first album in a band, is a mirage of her life.

Released in 1991, Hole’s first studio album “Pretty On The Inside” is meant to disturb.

Considering Love’s time in the sex industry and abusive relationships—friendly and romantic—she is able to inject herself into her music in a way that is chilling to the bone. Like a fresh wound, Love peels open and bleeds stories of pain, pleasure, and power. Opening with the single “Teenage Wh*re,” Love recounts a tale of a mother and daughter squirming with a lack of understanding in their relationship, as the daughter slips into a dependency of attention, drugs, and everything a mother would describe as deranged.

If you think “Teenage Wh*re” is an attention-grabber, “Mrs. Jones” will give you a run for your money. Considering the song is about a back-alley abortion, Love is able to morph a terrifyingly dark and painful experience—that often goes unspoken—into a deeply disturbing yet meaningful song: “It takes an hour like you to make me wanna live.”