Around the metallic chugging down strums of “I Met The Stones” J Mascis delivers the keynote to Dinosaur Jr.’s excellent new release Sweep It Into Space. The laconic lyric is “I got excited, I got depressed/The situation and then the rest” sums up the trio’s pandemic record, which is a lot like all of their other offerings, a fantastic display of swirling guitar-driven hard rock majesty
The supersonic six strings of Mascis and the rumbling bass/gear-shifting songwriting from Lou Barlow continue to mesh beautifully around Murph’s pounding drums. On this effort, the trio moves slightly away from their punk/raw roots (which were delved into on the previous Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not) while delivering their trademark sound around brighter motifs.
An example is “I Ran Away” (with guest Kurt Vile) which mixes the group’s ear-bleeding country rev with a slightly shinier pop-rock appeal. Each recent record finds the group tweaking their style for freshness purposes and the catchy as all hell “Take It Back” and the electro distortion of “Walking To You” are unique, enhancing the trio’s range.
The fuzzy skate rock of “Hide Another Round” along with standard, granite solid Dino fare (“I Expect It Always” and “N Say”) are comforting sounds during these shifting times, but it is Barlow’s two offerings that really deliver the goods. Album closer “You Wonder” mixes hard rock and softer introspection while “Garden” is a dynamite album centerpiece with excellent builds and melody around gorgeous playing and lyrics.
For other bands the themes of mental instability and loneliness addressed in opener “I Ain’t” and “To Be Waiting” would be clearly tagged to the pandemic, but J Mascis has been writing like this for decades. He has also been delivering mind-bending solos with astonishing success rates and these tunes are no different.
While the current lockdown has certainly affected the band, the mix of melancholy/yearning leading towards wonder/delight has always been at the heart of Dinosaur Jr.’s sound. Now those styles inform Sweep It Into Space with a vivid sense of the isolating present while gazing at hope on the horizon.
