There comes a time in every ageing Gen-Xer’s life when they must ask themselves how many Dinosaur Jr. records do they really need? There Near makes a compelling argument that there can only ever be one answer: “At least one more.”
That is no mean feat for the pioneering indie rock trio, whose sound and intent has rarely wavered for more than 40 years and across what is now 13 studio albums. There are no surprises with Dinosaur Jr., at least not since the unexpected reunion and reconciliation of J Mascis with Murph and Lou Barlow in 2006 when they instantly rekindled their groove again on Beyond (2007). Since then it’s been a rock-solid rinse-and-repeat cycle of shred. There are no genre experiments or wacky concept albums, no handing over control to a trendy producer with misguided notions for a sonic shift or a hit single.
With each new offering of loud, loose slacker swagger, they work from a limited palette of Mascis moods – there’s “frustrated J”, “dreamy J”, “bummed-out J” – conveying far more emotion through his Fender Jazzmaster than his voice. Barlow is always permitted two songs, and two songs only, and awkwardly sticking out is part of their charm.
There Near comes from the same playbook, which should by now be feeling a little tired. But God bless, every time Mascis’ strained drawl rises to ride a melodic wave of fuzz, it is glorious and irresistible. Even if we concede the band has settled into a comfortable formula, at least it’s the quintessential blueprint for indie rock which they practically invented in the mid-80s.
Recorded in a series of short bursts on the band’s home turf of Amherst, Massachusetts, at Bisquiteen Studio, these sessions were deemed significant due to Mascis tracking down a 1970s Mesa Boogie MK 1 amp – the same model used on 1985’s Dinosaur. Regardless of my familiarity with their raw debut (easily the Dinosaur Jr. album I’ve listened to the least), I am confident I would not be able to detect the sonic distinction of this amp. But if the MK1’s “souped-up Fender sound” was a source of inspiration for Mascis then all power to it, because these songs never lack energy or enthusiasm.
There is no band better than Dinosaur Jr. at nailing the start, and first single Several Got Away is a crankin’ up-tempo jam that plays to Mascis’ vocal strengths and languid phrasing. The bleak but driving No Friends crackles with tension before taking off like a rocket, while Everything At Once shifts into the softer, dreamy vibe that often dominates his solo records. The raucous rumble of Take Me With You most keenly evokes the feel of the SST years, and Barlow’s whimsical and sludgy state-of-the-nation address Blowin’ Up offers a welcome tonal shift.
What stands out most on There Near is how strong the back half of the record is. I sometimes find the side B songs of Dinosaur Jr. can blur, but the variation between the run of great tracks here, from the breezy hooks of Gone Off and Clam Along through the wistful Walk Me Back and shimmer of Read The Room, is nicely balanced and propulsive.
There’s only fool’s gold to be reaped from looking too deeply into Mascis’ lyrics, it’s more about the feelings they conjure, and he effectively arouses moods of isolation, rejection and resignation, from which his shredding solos can always be trusted to provide a cathartic release. Even though these guys are now in their 60s, there’s still something intrinsically adolescent about the sound; the way it communicates the impulsiveness, the anguish and boredom of youth.
It says something of Dinosaur Jr.‘s catalogue and consistency that there is rarely fan consensus when ranking their best work beyond the hallowed You’re Living All Over Me (1987). I think Farm (2009) remains the high point since they reunited, but I’d put There Near on par with Beyond and a nudge in front of the others from the past decade, which have bled together in my brain. I can pick up Sweep It Into Space (2021) and not recall a single melody or chorus from the song titles, but when I put the record on, I fall in love with it all over again. They’re that kind of band, and maybe the same fate awaits There Near.
What I do know is this album sounds like three war horses who are still enthralled with the music they’re creating. These songs never rest on the laurels of Dinosaur Jr.’s legacy, but build on another storey, with thick, formidable walls of epic sound.
Dinosaur Jr. – Several Got Away (Official Video)
Matthew Dallas
There Near is out August 28th via Jagjaguwar Records
Dinosaur Jr.
There Now
1. Several Got Away
2. No Friends
3. Everything At Once
4. Take Me With You
5. Blowin’ Up
6. Gone Off
7. Clam Along
8. Walk Me Back
9. Read the Room
10. Put It Down
11. No One’s Ready
Dinosaur Jr. Online
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