Even at their harshest, “I Met The Stones,” Dinosaur Jr.’s driving guitars aren’t oppressive, they’re inspirational.

Yes, the topics are often touching and noteworthy, but the positive energy can be sourced to something as simple as the guitars’ undertones. fail to be tainted, there’s just a new, glossy finish.

Their chunky and cluttered guitars are there, tracks like “To Be Waiting” showcase some insane solo performances from Mascis, and the grungy reputation of both Kurt Vile and Dinosaur Jr. The group’s sound naturally echoes this emotional approach, taking the tiny pieces that make of Dinosaur Jr.’s staple sound, and attempting to push them forward, not just sonically but spiritually. “Garden” is full of soft, twinkling guitars, as the group recognizes the importance of personal relationships, “Hand me your hand, no time to wait / Where is the garden? / And when do we move? / Love how you move with me.” The bright and victorious album intro, “I Ain’t,” fortifies these themes repeating the relatable, “I ain’t good alone.” Throughout the record, positivity is placed alongside regret, constantly looking back to learn from the past. But while it may make their sound newer and their songs catchier, their new identity gets lost in the depths of generic indie rock.ĭespite being primarily written pre-pandemic, Sweep It Into Space is about introspection, reflection, and personal growth (or maybe that’s thanks to the new context). Rather than copy-paste their past products or force drastic action, the group takes their rugged indie backbone and gives it a quick, melodic makeover. Dinosaur Jr., somehow, seem to dodge that greed train with their most recent effort, Sweep It Into Space. By the time a band gets to their twelfth studio album, they typically fall under two schools of desperate thought: “let’s pump out as much of the same content as possible because it works,” or “crap, we really need to change things up before we fall off!” Because let’s be honest even some of the greatest bands of all time get stale after twelve albums.

Dinosaur jr sweep it into space review