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 August 5th 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-flavoured bourbon and thank some lucky stars.
Last night, Dinosaur Jr. gave the album's first single 'Tiny' an exclusive first performance on Later... with Jools Holland, which you can watch here. Be sure to tune in to BBC2 this Friday, May 27th, at 12.05am for an extended version of the show. Today, you can also stream the album version of 'Tiny' on Spotify, alongside a playlist of the band's greatest moments from across their 30+ year history.
Of the 11 songs presented on Give a Glimpse, nine are J's. Mascis 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 compartmentalise well enough to keep his tunes with Dinosaur Jr. sounding so instantly recognisable. 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.
