Dinosaur Jr.: I Bet on Sky Review
I Bet on Sky is Dinosaur Jr.’s 10th studio album since the band got its start back in 1985. Over the years, they’ve honed their style from an eclectic mix of punk, alt-rock, country, and folk to a more cohesive, unified sound. They’ve also had a couple of lineup changes since their early days and underwent an extended hiatus from 1997 to 2005, but the original three have been back from then on and are still keeping the flame alive.
Dinosaur Jr.’s most recent offering is a consistent cauldron of feel-good rock, marked by driving riffs contrasted with singer J Mascis’ languid vocals. It’s an enjoyable place to be, and one that you’ll probably want to hang around for awhile. That said, to some degree the band doesn’t seem to be trying anything especially new anymore, and their apparent tendency to become more sonically safe over the years is somewhat indicative of a bit of stagnation in their sound.
That doesn’t mean their sound is sub-par by any measure, though. The performance and production on this record is carefully constructed while still retaining a great deal of energy and charm. As those of us in the Northern Hemisphere say goodbye to Summer, I Bet on Sky seems to be Dinosaur Jr.’s best effort to play us out of the season of sun in style.
For a band that’s been playing together for the better part of the last few decades, Dinosaur Jr.’s latest is a worthy album. The band can be applauded for making solid music for so many years, given their somewhat rocky past (and 8-year break), and I Bet on Sky is reminiscent of the comfortable place that familiarity often brings good friends to. It takes some of the best aspects of a few genres and melts them down into something nearly anyone can digest and have a good time doing so. It isn’t anything particularly groundbreaking or unheard-of, but it’s a fun new adventure with some old friends, and that’s got to be worth something.
The Review: 7/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– I Don’t Wanna Go There
– Rude
– What Was That
– Watch the Corners
The Big Hit
– Watch the Corners
Review by Tyler Quiring