Dinosaur Jr. – Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not LP

Description

Arriving four years after 2012’sI Bet on Sky— the longest stretch of time between albums sinceDinosaur Jr.became an active band again in 2007 —Give a Glimpse of What Yer Notdoesn’t offer any surface surprises, at least not along the lines of the roaring reunion of 2007’sBeyond, or the keyboard colorings ofI Bet on Sky. That’s not to sayGive a Glimpse of What Yer Notdoesn’t surprise, because it does — namely, it shocks by sounding as vital asDinosaur Jr.ever has. Deciding to not to build upon the expansive textures ofI Bet on Sky, the trio nevertheless sounds vividly oversaturated throughoutGive a Glimpse of What Yer Not. Certainly,J Mascisgenerates these brilliant colors through his guitar, with his riffs buzzing against each other and providing dense contrast to his piercing, lyrical solos, but the vigor ofLou BarlowandMurphis equally bracing. Beneath the fuzz, there are dexterous rhythms — often, there’s considerable air to the roar, making the music almost groove — which givesGive a Glimpse of What Yer Nota visceral thrill, and if that’s all it delivers it’d be enough, but the tunes are among the strongest sets of songsMascisandBarlowhave ever written. As always,Barlowgets two numbers, but the heavy jangle of “Love Is” and the stuttering, bone-tired closer “Left/Right” complementMascis, who alternates between hooky-heavy pop, weary urban country, and creeping sludge. While none of these may be new, the execution of it all, from composition to performance, means thatGive a Glimpse of What Yer Notfeels fresh, which is quite an achievement for a band approaching the tenth anniversary of its reunion. -All Music Guide