Alice in Chains is an American grunge rock band originating from Seattle, Washington, notoriously known for their hit songs, “Nutshell,” “Man in the Box,” “Would?,” and “Rooster.”  During the early 90s, several grunge bands emerged, including Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Soundgarden. However, the first album that was great from the first track to the last was Alice in Chains’ Facelift. Facelift cemented Alice in Chains’ legacy as one of, if not the best, grunge artists to this day.

Sap, the second studio album released by Alice in Chains on February 4, 1992, when grunge was slowly taking over the music scene. Many people were aware of grunge, yet nobody could solidify what the sound of grunge meant. “Sap” is mostly an acoustic rock album with guitar solos sprinkled throughout.

​Layne Staley encouraged guitarist Jerry Cantrell to take the lead vocals and to explore his sound. Jerry sings lead on the album’s first song, “Brother,” and “Got me wrong” with Layne backing up Jerry’s leads. The EP features many other amazing artists from great bands. Vocals from Heart’s Ann Wilson for the chorus of “Brother”, Vocals from Soundgarden’s Lead singer Chris Cornell on the song “Right Turn”, and Vocals from Mudhoney’s Mark Arm on “Right Turn”.

Jerry Cantrell wrote this song about his relationship with his younger brother David. The song is centered around the time after Cantrell’s parents got divorced. David went to live with his father, and Jerry went to live with his mother. “Brother” starts with a haunting acoustic riff that repeats throughout most of the song, followed by Jerry and Ann Wilson humming to a creepy riff that is played before the chorus starts.

Verse 1 opens with eerie lyrics, “Frozen in the place I hide,” drawing the attention of listeners, making them feel his vulnerability. The chorus begins with “You were always so far away.” It’s a deep line that connects the listener with Jerry in the sense of isolation when surrounded by loved ones. The song brings you into a different world where you can feel comfortable feeling emotions.

“Got Me Wrong” is a song that seems to be different to everyone in how they interpret it. Some people believe it’s about his relationship with family or friends. The way I interpret the song views a man trying to share himself emotionally with a partner, and you could also see how his past relationships are affecting this one. I personally see that he is stuck with his emotions, and he’s trying to figure out how he feels.

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“Yeah, it goes away, all of this and more of nothing in my life.”

He’s sharing how his emotions feel numb, and his feelings shift constantly.

“I can’t let go,  Threadbare tapestry unwinding slow.”

He is stuck in the thought of his past relationship, and he is having a hard time letting that be the past.

“I haven’t felt like this in so long.”

He hasn’t been able to feel these emotions, and this connection to her is strong even though he has a hard time expressing them.

“You taste sugar. Sweetness doesn’t often touch my face.”

He’s describing the feeling she makes him feel and how he rarely gets any attention, and it’s rare for him to feel this.

This track is very different from any of the Alice in Chains songs. It experiments with different moods, sound, and collaborates with other artists.

In this song, you hear Layne Staley, Chris Cornell, and Mark Arm all taking turns with the vocals.  Layne Staley creates this haunting sound with his “tired” sounding way of singing.  Chris Cornell brings his powerful and intense vocals, along with an almost panicked state. Mark Arm also brings his powerful way of singing with the sound of an almost “it doesn’t matter” mentality. These legendary singers bring this song together and create an instant classic.

What makes this song so good is the sluggish, almost lazy-sounding style that lets all of the singers have their own way of deciphering this song and being able to bring their style of singing to make this masterpiece come together.

Another song with a haunting acoustic guitar melody repeating throughout the song. This song’s meaning is very deep. It’s about feeling lonely, numb, and detached from any feelings. Layne Staley was always very clear in the messages in his songs. Singing about someone being alone, depressed, hurt, and many other emotions. Layne states the feeling of a blackout. “Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free.” Layne’s powerful choice of words makes the listener feel the broken and stuck person.

He asks the question many times throughout the song “Am I Inside myself?”

“Sap” was a mostly acoustic album; it showed their softer side and a more emotionally personal sound compared to their first album, “Facelift.”  Releasing the EP showed fans and music lovers that they could handle their sound, harmonies, and create masterpieces, no matter what route they went with their music. “Sap” isn’t considered a hit album or a standout in their discography, but it definitely helped the gap between albums. The EP let them explore live small acoustic venues that added depth to their sound, letting fans see how good they were. “Sap” prepared the group for fame, showing that they could handle the grunge-heavy rock sound along with the haunting acoustic style of rock.