Beneath the searing solos and wall-of-noise grunged-up guitars that are Dinosaur Jr's trademark, there's often a tangible sense of vulnerability. A lot of that stems from a combination of the lyrical content and Mascis' drawling delivery, cracked, sensitive, even shy, awkward-sounding. But then there's also something distinctive about Mascis' compositions and style of playing: he has a unique way of wringing emotion from those six strings, whether it's the full-on sonic assault of slacker anthems like 'Freakscene' or softer, more wistful numbers like 'Not the Same'.
His near solo-album as J Mascis and the Fog certainly saw a move toward a softer, almost folk-tinged sound, and his first solo outing proper sees this fully realised. The lead single of the forthcoming album 'Several Shades of Why' is truly acoustic, just guitar and vocals, and sees Mascis at his most vulnerable yet. Lacking the dynamism and volume of Dinosaur Jr's best work, and falling short in the 'instantly memorable' stakes, 'Not Enough' seems rather underwhelming to begin with. Even so, it still has that distinct Mascis touch, and has a frazzled sweetness about it that makes it a definite grower.
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J Mascis Online
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