When
Nudeswirl's debut album came out in 1993, grunge had taken the rock world by storm. Corporate rockers like
Bon Jovi and
Warrant were seeing their popularity decline, while
Pearl Jam and
Nirvana had become superstars and alternative rock was becoming rock's dominant direction. This climate should have made
Nudeswirl's self-titled debut album a big hit, but surprisingly, the album wasn't a huge seller. That's regrettable because the band showed a lot of promise on this CD.
Nudeswirl was obviously influenced by the Seattle bands that emerged in the late '80s -- you get the impression that
Nirvana,
Pearl Jam, and
Alice in Chains were high on
Nudeswirl's list of priorities. But the New Jersey residents put their own spin on Seattle's grunge sound, and the interesting effects and atmospherics they weave into rockers like "Now Nothing," "Buffalo," and "Damned" point to the fact that
Nudeswirl was intent on being recognizable and distinctive. Grunge and alternative rock lovers who overlooked this strong CD when it came out should make a point of hearing it now.