DINOSAUR JR. - There Near

Despite being made up of exactly the same lineup as at the start — the legendary, historic Mascis-Barlow-Murph trio — the post-reunion (2007) Dinosaur Jr. has never sounded exactly like it did during the 1985-1988 phase — the one that preceded Lou's departure from the band and that produced the blistering trio of albums “Dinosaur”/“You're Living All Over Me”/“Bug”. The new dinosaurs, perhaps because they're older and more considered, have sounded less abrasive than they used to, more inclined toward expansive stretches, dreamy atmospheres, and the occasional psychedelic streak. Still, they've managed to make magical records like “Farm” and, to a lesser extent, “I Bet On Sky”.
The approach changes radically with this new album, “There Near”, for which Mascis says he followed the advice Rick Rubin gives to the bands he produces: sit down, listen back to your first record, and return to that sound.

J didn't just revisit that first record — he also got his hands on a 1970s Mesa/Boogie Mark I (MK I), the legendary amp that gave “Dinosaur” its raw, aggressive, flayed-alive sound back in 1985. The result, paradoxically, is a breath of fresh air.
Where the otherwise solid “Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not” and “Sweep It Into Space” edged toward formula and exposed the limits of the band's newer approach, “There Near” finds its strength in a return to directness and a leaner, less convoluted songwriting style.
Everything promised by the excellent lead single “Several Got Away” is delivered across the whole tracklist, whether it leans into melancholy melodies (“No Friends”, “Everything At Once”), gives in to thrilling, lopsided guitar-hero moments (“Take Me With You”), or focuses on structure and detail (“Read The Room”) — it all combs the listener's hair back just right. And then there's “Put It Down”, where Mascis's Fender has never sounded closer to that of his undisputed idol Neil Young.

While Mascis, with his streams of words about friendship, escapism and isolation, gives “There Near” its heart and poetry, Barlow's usual quota deals with politics, contributing two songs with an abrasive folk-rock edge (“Blowin' Up” and, especially, “No One's Ready”) that tackle the futility of war and the normalization of violence.
Along with the old amp, Dinosaur Jr. seem to have rediscovered their sense of urgency too, on an album number thirteen that may not contain songs destined to go down in history like those of the Eighties, but which surprises with its grit and immediacy, and promises deafening live shows to come.

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29/08/2026