What is considered a masterpiece? Just like music, the label of masterpiece is a subjective label. However, I think one of the very few songs that deserves this honor is a song from the Alice in Chains EP, Jar of Flies.
It's soft yet jagged acoustic guitars and its haunting "oooohs" in the background set the stage for this bleak track. However, the core of this song is Layne Staley's lyrics which are about his struggles with addiction. Layne's words also deal with superficial and distrustful news ("We chase misprinted lies") mortality ("We face the path of time") and the loneliness when it comes to fighting personal struggles.
What makes this song brilliant is that while this a personal song for Layne Staley, the lyrics are universal enough that anyone with personal problems can relate too. Depression, illness, discrimination and yes, addiction. It is also relevant to modern times with how social media has lead to privacy being violated and self image being tarnish by others. Which leads to the darkest line of the song, "If I can't be my own, I'd feel better dead". These words are heartbreaking and may hit very close to home for those want to express themselves but are unable to.
I really struggle to connect with the dour pop movement of 2017-2022 and its recent resurgence because those songs seem shallow and whiny compared to the deep sadness of songs like Nutshell. Unlike Dour Pop, Nutshell forgoes traditional song structural for a simple yet atmospheric approach. The fact the Nutshell is just two verses with no chorus or recognizable hook shows that this song was never meant to be commercial or be accessible to casual listeners like the dour stuff Olivia Rodrigo or Sombr put out.
Alice in Chains tapped into a darkness that only a few bands before them like Joy Division, Lowlife, and The Cure have reached. Even the title, which is never mentioned in the lyrics, is perfect as it indicates how personal struggles can lead to the afflicted being shells of their former selves. Nutshell is Alice in Chains' masterpiece and with the state of the world right now, it seems more important now than when it came out 32 years ago.
