Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
Tracklist:
- Almost Ready
- Crumble
- Pick Me Up
- Back To Your Heart
- This Is All I Came To Do
- Been There All The Time
- It's Me
- We're Not Alone
- I Got Lost
- Lightning Bulb
- What If I Knew
Any questions you might have as to what direction J. Mascis and company would head on this, their first album in 10 years, should be answered within the first few seconds. Never one to play the quiet card too often, this album sounds a lot like a Mascis-headed effort for the first several tracks; all the elements that set Dinosaur Jr.’s early tracks apart are here, including the sprawling guitars and as much freeform experimentation as Moore could do on his best day, combined with genuinely impressive solos from one of rock’s most celebrated guitarists.
At times the melodies are a bit clunky and even begin trending towards poor sludge metal, but they move out of those ruts quite quickly. Tracks like “Pick Me Up” in particular shift gears impressively, creating a track that stands as one of the album’s best. The hazy vocals and lyrics of Mascis are as prescient here as ever, and one gets the feeling that he could write a tearjerker as good as anyone else, if he were that type of artist. Instead, as on the aforementioned third track, Mascis allows his guitar to do the talking and “Pick Me Up” shows that he still has a genuine skill for exploratory solos.
While such guitar work is rarely seen in indie music today and is even sometimes looked down upon as “noodling”, a man of Mascis’ stature can get away with it, and this track is a stunning one because of its two minute solo ending. Fortunately for the rest of the band, they make an emphatic complement to Mascis’ guitar, bringing the song to an impressive crescendo.
While it may seem difficult to move on from the end of the album’s third track, “Back to Your Heart” and “This is All I Came To Do” move with a summery pep and youth that defy the band members’ 40+ age. The same goes for “Been There All The Time”; if not for the lyrics which speak of a group that has indeed “been there all the time”, whether in spirit in bands who sound like them or in each others’ heads, the reunion that is this album sounding like a flawless continuation of previous albums and not a forced money-grab as is often the case. Perhaps the most impressive fact about this album is that, although released in 2007, it would not sound out of place in the middle of the band’s catalogue. And while some may argue this makes the album sound dated, Dinosaur Jr. were one of the seminal acts of their day and as catalysts for a huge movement in music they really don’t need to change or evolve in order to remain relevant.
While the beginnings of this album sound entirely like a Mascis solo effort, with the added help of Dinosaur Jr.’s talented members, the strength that comes with the adoption of Lou Barlow’s gentler moments adds a tremendous track to the tail end of the record. Despite being sung by Mascis, “I Got Lost” contains lyrics so unsure that one feels they are listening to Barlow, the almost tribal bass drum anchoring the strummed guitar add to the song’s meandering feel as well. Anyone who believed strings could never work on a Dinosaur Jr. album will surely need help raising their jaws as the violin that joins the composition makes this easily of the band’s most beautiful songs.
The final two tracks are atypical Dino, good tracks nonetheless, but one is sure to be reeling from “I Got Lost” for a long time. Not many people will need many reasons to listen to Dinosaur Jr.’s first album in 10 years, but this album’s got plenty, with “I Got Lost” and “Pick Me Up” leading the pack.
-- Jack Pereira
April 6th, 2007 at 12:08 am e
“Anyone who believed strings could never work on a Dinosaur Jr. album…” apparently has never heard “Where You Been.”
May 12th, 2007 at 4:24 am e
The last two tracks are atypical dino? Is this guy for real? An otherwise excellent review, though.
June 2nd, 2007 at 8:04 pm e
Egos finally set aside, one of my favorite bands from the old days comes back strong as ever.
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