J Mascis - Several Shades of Why (Sub Pop)
4/5
By: Stephen Maughan
This spring sees two rather special solo releases from a pair of the greatest musicians of our generation, both toning down their usual noisy rock stylings for more subdued acoustic affairs. Next month we have Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth with his Demolished Thoughts LP, but first comes Dinosaur Jr. legend J Mascis with Several Shades of Why, a quite beautiful and tender affair which feels like a stripped bare Lemonheads laced with the heartache of Nick Drake.
Yes, you read that right. Several Shades of Why might come as something of a shock to closed minded Dinosaur Jr. fans expecting a whirling guitar noise fest. If that's you, better give this one a miss. You’re better off picking up something by the zillion bands this man has influenced throughout his 26 year career (have you heard Yuck yet?). Where You Been> (Dino Jr's 1993 album, and the closes they had to a hit) this ain't.
That said, this is a truly beautiful album. By cutting out the drums (no drums! AT ALL!), Mascis allows each song room to breathe and flow elegantly, courtesy of the violins, strings, and clarinets that shape this record. You’re drawn into each track’s emotion thanks largely to Mascis’ soft and tender voice, sounding so sweet and vulnerable it borders on heartbreaking. On 'Very Nervous and Love' he sings “I tried to keep it simple, you just couldn't understand – I've been holding back...I don't know what's wrong.”. From back in the late 80's people have been comparing Mascis' voice to Neil Young, but only now we see quite how closely that comparison could be made.
Indeed, one of the many highlights on this album is the sheer songwriting prowess of Mascis. We all knew he can pen a brilliant grunge anthem, but who suspected he was capable of something like this? On the breezy summer-pop tale of lost love (I never thought I'd write that on a J Mascis album report) 'Not Enough', Mascis sings “I can't accept defeat, I know I should be grateful but it's hard for me – can we be love can we be free can we be all these things you said to me?” before concluding “I know my love is over, but I wish I didn't know”. Honesty, my friends, is a rare thing indeed. All this from a man who, 20 years ago, sang “I'm scared of feeling”!
He’s a middle aged fellow now, one who has nothing to lose, but also one who has to face up to his own mortality. Loss, hope, love, loneliness, ageing - you will find it all here, but quite brilliantly it's lurking behind a clever lyric or a hypnotising succession of guitar chords.
A final warning – you may see things written about how Several Shades of Why is an ‘adult’ record, and that teenagers won't be able to relate to a 45 year old man singing about ageing and wondering if he will ever find love again. If anyone tells you that, feel free to throw JD Salinger's Catcher in the Rye at them. At 14 I was given a copy of Bob Dylan's ‘Tangled Up In Blue’ , a bittersweet elegy to his broken marriage, and it made perfect sense to me. Several Shades of Why will make perfect sense to you too, regardless of where you are in life. Feelings of insecurity, hope, love, and loss are part of human nature, and sound even sweeter when a true rock legend like Mascis deals with them. The ball’s in your court, Thurston.
J Mascis - Several Shades of Why by subpop
Artists in this article: J. Mascis
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