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With decades of experience behind them, the members of Dinosaur Jr. know how to shift gears where necessary. The band's earliest works were bludgeoning efforts; even when there was a hummable melody in the chaos, the band shoveled a ton of guitar sludge on top. It gave Dinosaur Jr. an appreciable charm and clearly defined it as a new sort of guitar hero band. In 2012, the group has dialed back the assault to feature additional tonal colors. The opening track, "Don't Pretend You Didn't Know," adds keys and a gentler jangle. "Watch the Corners" pushes the vocals to the front to prove that its melodies are as strong as ever. J Mascis' guitar solos are still the gold standard for alt-rock (an unintentionally ironic role, considering that mainstream rock rarely rocked back in the '80s). "Almost Fare" adds Lou Barlow's near-funky bass. Barlow takes the lead for the punk-pop "Rude," which shows the kids how punk-pop is supposed to sound. His "Recognition" is another album highlight. No longer fighting to be heard but an acknowledged rock superpower, Dinosaur Jr. has rarely sounded more relaxed or more fun.

via Apple Music

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