Dinosaur Jr

Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not

Written by: PP on 06/11/2016 22:07:04

Iconic alternative rockers Dinosaur Jr. have been churning out new albums in steady fashion since their 2007 comeback album "Beyond". The new one, titled "Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not", is the 11th studio album for the veterans who were among the pioneers of that familiarly fuzzy, buzzing guitar sound of the late 80s/early 90s that won a legion of fans through its unadulterated joy of just playing music oozing out of every riff and vocal melody. Opening few tracks on this record, "Goin Down" and "Tiny" in particular, continue the tradition of a cheerful vibe full of positivity and vibrant melodies guitar wise, where an electrifying, high-energy atmosphere captures its listener from the get go.

When you additionally throw in the 90s grunge, crooned vocal style of singer J Mascis, it's easy to say Dinosaur Jr still sound every bit as good as they did during their early 90s heyday.

The relatively high tempo gives the songs melodic punk flavor as well, which is contrasted by slower, more balladic material that occupy the second half of the album. Here, the material sees Dinosaur Jr pursue their most experimental material in more than a decade, but the signature croons by Mascis guides us through these more challenging sections with relative ease. We still get the frequent comparisons to their like-minded peers in Superchunk and Hüsker Dü, of course, whilst elements of Built To Spill, The Replacements and 90s legends Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam are also recognizable from the mix. Nevertheless, Dinosaur Jr has always owned a signature sound, and this record doesn't change that fact.

There are pitfalls, though. The second half of the record, as mentioned just before, is a little odd and strays away from the core strength of Dinosaur Jr - the vibrant warmth of their distorted guitars, the energetic delivery rooted in punk, and the great vocal melodies - where "Love Is...", for example, comes across in annoying fashion due to its sudden stylistic change into classic rock. I mean this track could be on a record by The Police - but then again it was written by bassist Lou Barlow rather than J Mascis. Likewise, the down-tuned bass-driven distortion of "I Walk For Miles" is something that Stone Temple Pilots can pull off, but the all-out grunge blast doesn't work as well for Dinosaur Jr.

"Lost All Day" returns the record back to a high note with a classic balladesque take on the beloved Dinosaur Jr sound, however, the minimalist high pitched experimental peace "Knocked Around" puts another question mark around the consistency of this record. In a normal year, it would probably fly, but this year Bob Mould released basically a full record's worth of tracks like "Goin Down", "Tiny", and "I Told Everyone" with virtually no bloopers. In comparison, "Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not" starts out great but then dies down, whereas Mould's equivalent stays awesome all the way through.

Download: Goin Down, Tiny, I Told Everyone
For the fans of: Bob Mould, Hüsker Dü, Superchunk, Built To Spill, The Replacements, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam
Listen: Facebook

Release date 05.08.2016
Jagjaguwar

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