by Dinosaur Jr
Dinosaur Jr Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not (PBS feature record)
Looking back, Dinosaur Jr’s dissolution in the late 90s didn’t seem to offer much hope of a reunion – the project was essentially a solo vehicle for frontman J Mascis by the time he retired the name, with co-founders Murph and Lou Barlow long gone, their departures acrimonious. Maybe this is why their late career output has been so enjoyable? Some things are better for not having changed much – the palpable melancholy in J’s voice, his trademark lead lines, the invariably catchy hooks all here. There’s a strong sense of familiarity on this, their fourth post-reunion album, and eleventh since the band’s inception out of the ashes of J Mascis and Lou Barlow’s essential hardcore outfit Deep Wound.
Reunion tours are nothing unusual these days, and are understandably met with cynicism or indifference at best. Reunited bands releasing vital records that manage to both call back the glory days and push things forward artistically on the other hand are rare – and yet Dinosaur Jr have done just that, again. As a band that has always had such a recognisable and unique sound, Give A Glimpse of What Yer Not shows there is still plenty of life left in the band after 30 years.
Sarah Mary Chadwick Roses Always Die (Featured on The Breakfast Spread)
Following the release of last years critically acclaimed 9 Classic Tracks, Melbourne-based, Kiwi-spawned, Sarah Mary Chadwick is back with her fourth solo album Roses Always Die.
Roses Always Die sees Chadwick expand on the quiet intensity of her previous work, exploring memory, grief and personal analysis in a way that few songwriters are capable of.
'Makin' It Work', the first single, is an affecting sparse affair, replacing the wall-of-synths found in 9 Classic Tracks with an analogue organ which was recorded by Geoffrey O’Connor (solo, Crayon Fields) in Chadwick's own living room.
Chadwick, previously the lead singer and songwriter of cult grunge outfit, Batrider, derives much of the power of her work lyrically, and paints a vivid, reflective, downbeat but never depressing picture.
Her unflinching approach to songwriting allows her to introduce complex, often difficult subject matter into her work in a way that is as vivid as it is understated. An old immobile organ provides the only accompaniment to her voice, giving the album an eerie consistency that perfectly underpins the diverse, open-ended narratives that run through each song.
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