By Brandon Carson J Mascis is not a household name and neither is his three-piece indie rock band of himself, Lou Barlow, and Murph that make up Dinosaur Jr. Mostly known for their hit in the '90s called ‘Feel the Pain,' Dinosaur Jr. made their underground stride known with albums like You’re Living All Over Me, Bug, and Where You Been? (which is interestingly classified as ‘Adult Alternative’ on Apple Music). Roaring, fuzzy guitar solos, loud crushing bass, and a mumbling low-toned voice carried Dinosaur Jr.’s sound back then. The band broke up in the early '90s, and suddenly, Mascis (vocals, guitars) was left to do whatever he wanted with the band. On Without a Sound and Hand It Over, Mascis turned down the volume and stripped back the heavy sound for some soft, sad tracks. But then 10 years later, the Dinosaur Jr. reunion happened, and we were given four albums from 2007 to 2016. In between these albums, Mascis made his own music with two albums, Several Shades of Why and Tied to a Star, where he returned to his soft sound he brought to Dinosaur Jr. in the '90s. On his new record, Elastic Days, Mascis doesn’t stray away from that sound but expands upon it. His lyricism feels like a stream of consciousness, his instrumentation flows like a moody river, and his solos add an emotional depth to the music his voice and lyrics couldn’t do. Yet, as the album drags on, the music feels tired in certain areas.
An evolving, easy-going sound
The music separates him from his band
Elastic DaysNot for everyone
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