From Amazon.co.uk
Odd how time plays tricks. Alongside the
Pixies,
Dinosaur Jr's first couple of albums (
You're Living All Over Me, the on-fire
Bug) inspired a musical genre: grunge. Now, frontman Mascis has returned to reclaim what is his. Pop, however, being a fickle beast, will probably ignore him. Pop's loss.
More Light is a brilliant, brilliant record. On his first solo album since Dinosaur's split, Mascis has rediscovered all the melodies and harmonies and molten guitar solos which made early Dinosaur required listening. (Back when Lou Barlow was still in the group.) Part of this is down to the presence of
My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields on wall-of-sound extra guitar. The songs, however, are all Mascis's own. "Waistin'", with its laconic chorus and pealing guitar, is a call-to-arms to rival even Dinosaur's slacker anthem "Freakscene". Drums are straight out of the Black Sabbath school of minimal and heavy; a 1960's organ also sweetens the mix. "Where'd You Go?" is harder, and rocks like the singer has just heard Neil Young for the first time. A music critic once claimed that J plays guitar like he skis--recklessly, but fully in control. Never has that simile held truer.
--Jerry Thackray
