Dinosaur Jr. - Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not (2016)

Let's face facts -- in 2016 it is remarkable that there's a new Dinosaur Jr. album to go ape over. After all, the original line-up of the band (J Mascis, Lou Barlow & Murph) only recorded three full albums during their initial run in the 1980s. Everyone was gob-smacked when they reunited in 2005. Even more so when they opted to stay together, as they have for 11 years now. And with the release of Give a Glimpse Of What Yer Not (out 8/5 on Jagjaguwar), this trio has released more albums in the 21st Century than they did in the 20th. It's enough to make a person take a long, thoughtful slug of maple-flavored bourbon and thank some lucky stars.

Of the 11 songs presented, nine are J's. Mascis. He has had so many projects going at various times -- from the retro glam of Sweet Apple to the metal dunt of Witch to the ostrich-rock overload of Heavy Blanket -- it's always a little shocking he can compartmentalize well enough to keep his tunes with Dinosaur Jr. sounding so instantly recognizable. Which is not to say they're interchangeable, it's just that he has a very idiosyncratic way of structurally assembling and presenting the songs.The other two songs here were written and sung by Lou, and they're quite great as well. Although Barlow's template and palette are more mercurial and shifting (as they are with his other ongoing projects, like Sebadoh), the two here have a consonant resonance.