Review Summary: Dinosaur Gloomier
Fans of Mascis could have been forgiven for raising a quizzical eyebrow upon hearing the news that the king of the feedback drenched solo was recording a primarily acoustic solo album with nary a fellow Dinosaur or Fog member in tow. Those who’ve been paying close attention were perhaps less overly concerned; the sparser and more downbeat moments on Dinosaur Jr releases have frequently ranked among their very best. Who can forget the great pairing of the jangly `We're Not Alone' and hypnotic `I Got Lost' from 2007's comeback `Beyond', or the cracked and fragile vocals on `Flying Cloud' from `Green Mind'?; surely a whole album of such material would be absolutely fine and dandy.
I'm happy to report a whole album of such material is just what Mascis delivers here, from the minute you clap eyes on the sweet yet slightly sad cover art you can't help but fill in the gaps and start imagining what the music on the actual disc will sound like; vocals a little worn and world weary balanced with a slither of romantically childlike hope backed up by finger picked acoustic guitar and some other subtly mournful instrumentation? Uh huh, just whatever you do don't forget exactly how great this man is at delivering those understated melodies, always keeping that core addictive simplicity to the fore and layering his charmingly unfussy vocals over the top.
The whole album is definitely of a piece and is certainly best digested in one sitting being a perfect listen for a very specific mood; you won't be getting dressed in your glad rags on a Friday evening to `Several Shades of Why' but if you’re feeling hungry for some gentle melancholy with a little tease of romantic hope then this will easily satisfy the craving. `Very Nervous & Love' and `Make It Right' are particularly downbeat and beautiful, the latter reminding me a little of Robert Plant's cover of `Song to the Siren', all chilly atmospherics and lyrics full of unrequited yearning. Meanwhile the title track makes a claim for vocal stand-out here, the guitar melody perfectly backed up by some well chosen violin.
There are also some more light-hearted moments to savour here including `Not Enough' that wears its country influences is a similar fashion to Will Oldham’s recent Bonnie “Prince” Billy albums and the classic Dino style verses of `Is It Done' which are beefed up with a short electric solo, reinforcing the optimistic feel of the track. The last two songs are excellent and see the electric guitar come out of hibernation for a more extended period; `Can I' is all about the atmosphere, evoking a barren desert landscape with the music content to leisurely wander around these surroundings before ultimately fading unresolved into the horizon; `What Happened' contrasts nicely, building and building towards an epiphany as first fuzzy then otherworldly guitar licks join the fray eventually smothering J's faltering whine.
A second album of more of the same, 2014’s ‘Tied to a Star’, somewhat inevitably adhered to the law of diminishing returns but that shouldn’t in any way detract from this consistent and endearing collection. Forget the acoustic label, ‘Several Shades of Why’ finds Mascis on top song writing form.
