Where You Been

iTunes Review

Dinosaur Jr. were slowly but surely becoming the J. Mascis project. Bassist Lou Barlow was busy with Sebadoh and drummer Murph would leave after this, the band’s fifth studio album. Mascis, a student of classic rock with a slacker’s approach to reality, emulates his ‘70s guitar heroes — Neil Young, in particular — and then sings as if he’d rather be somewhere else or as if experiencing a painful surgery sans anesthesia. For example, “Out There” kicks things off in brilliant fashion: Mascis’ thick guitar stirrings flow alongside his tortured vocals that sound like a man battling a hernia. “Start Choppin” became the hit on the U.S. “Modern Rock Tracks” chart with its limber chord changes and mock falsettos. “What Else Is New?” begins with a bluesy guitar solo that sounds as if the band spent the night in an airport bar and soaked up the local flavor. “Not the Same” begins with gentle guitar-picking and a mock falsetto that emulates Neil Young insisting “A Man Needs A Maid.” “Get Me” is an alternative band in the ‘90s performing the blues with Mascis as the King of the Suburban Living Room Blues Singers.