Mascis, Murph and Barlow on fine fuzzy form for tenth triumphant long-player
9/10
There's something reassuring about every new Dinosaur Jr album and not in a predictable sense. Perhaps it's the squall of guitar, squeezed from Mascis' fingers and sounding for all the world like cats fighting in a jet turbine, the relentless pummeling of drums by Murph or the low-end rumble of Barlow's spine-tickling bass. Or it could be that desperately plaintive trademark drawl from Mascis as he and his pals deliver yet another terrific lesson in perfectly distorted euphoria. That's it.
Oddly enough though, the opening song to their first album since 2009's full-on Farm is actually quite unlike most Dinosaur Jr tunes - Don't Pretend You Didn't Know is almost, well, funky and upbeat and rather unlike a typical opening track. Nothing wrong with that of course and there's nothing wrong with much of this set. Watch The Corners, the single, is classic Mascis, as is every one of his eight contributions here with the laid-back romp of Almost Fare and the finger-shredding riffola that is Pierce The Morning Rain standing out.
Barlow has written and sung two songs here - again, both of these pass muster with Recognition nudging it ahead of Rude, which is perhaps the only weak tune here, if only for the fact it sounds like an old '70s song and I've since been kept awake at night wondering what the hell it is. Curse you Barlow and your wiley hook-laden ways.
All-in-all, I Bet On Sky is not a huge gamble of an album, it's a dead cert.
For information on live shows from Dinosaur Jr, head to Allgigs here
9/10
Oddly enough though, the opening song to their first album since 2009's full-on Farm is actually quite unlike most Dinosaur Jr tunes - Don't Pretend You Didn't Know is almost, well, funky and upbeat and rather unlike a typical opening track. Nothing wrong with that of course and there's nothing wrong with much of this set. Watch The Corners, the single, is classic Mascis, as is every one of his eight contributions here with the laid-back romp of Almost Fare and the finger-shredding riffola that is Pierce The Morning Rain standing out.
Barlow has written and sung two songs here - again, both of these pass muster with Recognition nudging it ahead of Rude, which is perhaps the only weak tune here, if only for the fact it sounds like an old '70s song and I've since been kept awake at night wondering what the hell it is. Curse you Barlow and your wiley hook-laden ways.
All-in-all, I Bet On Sky is not a huge gamble of an album, it's a dead cert.
For information on live shows from Dinosaur Jr, head to Allgigs here