Dive

A song written by Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, 'Dive' began life as a B-side to 'Sliver' before finding its way onto this compilation of unreleased material and alternate versions. The track builds around a simple, insistent plea, its lyrics cycling through variations on the idea of being chosen, of mattering to someone. There is a hollowness to the repetition, a neediness that the band's arrangement does little to soften. The production, helmed by Butch Vig, sits somewhere between rawness and clarity. Chad Channing's drumming anchors the piece as Cobain's guitar and vocals circle the same emotional territory without resolution. 'Dive' works best as an artifact of the band's early days, a glimpse of how they could wring genuine unease from the simplest of hooks.