It’s an indisputable fact that Dinosaur Jr’s Freak Scene is one of the greatest songs of all time. That track, together with their wonderful cover of Just Like Heaven, were my introduction to the band and both formed a staple of the indie nights at clubs in my University days. From these tracks, I retrospectively discovered Bug and You’re Living All Over Me, both of which stand the test of time and after that Sebadoh’s The Freed Pig, the dismissed Lou Barlow’s dig at J Masics which still remains one of my favourite tracks of all time. I’ve followed the band at a distance since the original line up’s reformation in 2005, but with Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not, they’ve grabbed my attention again. This album is up there with Dinosaur Jr’s best.
Opening tracks Goin Down and Tiny are as sprightly a start to an album as you could wish for. Unmistakably Dinosaur Jr with the fuzz and power you’d expect, they also carry an air of pop nous which is welcome. Basics’ vocals remain as distinct as ever too which is never going to be a bad thing. I Told Everyone, Mirror and closer Left/Right follow a similar path with the latter having a surprising but enjoyable almost acoustic breakdown in the middle.
Two real stand outs are Good To Know and I Walk For Miles which fill the middle of the album with its loudest and most aggressive riffs. I Walk For Miles is especially heavy and the darkest, most brooding track on here. The years have not diminished Dinosaur Jr’s power any.
Three albums into the original line up’s comeback, Dinosaur Jr show no signs of slowing down or changing from what made them so thrilling in the first place. Indeed, Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not is the strongest and most focused of those three albums and that can only be a good sign. There’s a lot of life in Dinosaur Jr still – long may they carry on.
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