Dinosaur Jr. - Sweep It Into Space (2021) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Here is Sweep It Into Space, the fifth new studio album cut by Dinosaur Jr.. during the 13th year of their rebirth. Originally scheduled for issue in mid 2020, this record’s temporal trajectory was thwarted by the coming of the Plague. But it would take more than a mere Plague to tamp down the exquisite fury of this trio when they are fully dialed-in. And Sweep It Into Space is a masterpiece of zoned dialing. Recorded, as usual, at Amherst’s Biquiteen, the sessions for Sweep It Into Space began in the late Autumn of 2019, following a West Coast/ South East tour. The only extra musician used this time was Kurt Vile who co-produced the record. Indeed, Sweep It Into Space is a very cool album. As is typical, Lou Barlow writes and sings two of the album’s dozen tunes and Murph’s pure-Flinstonian drumming drives the record like a go cart from Hell. Lou’s songs here are as elegant as always. But there are very few moments where you wouldn’t know you were hearing Dinosaur Jr. in blindfolded needle drop. They have a signature sound as sure as the Stooges or Sonic Youth or Discharge ever did. They continue to expand their personal universe with Sweep It Into Space, without ever losing their central core.

AllMusic Review by Fred Thomas
Throughout the years, Dinosaur Jr. have remained one of the most distinctive bands to ever emerge from the American underground. Twelfth studio album Sweep It Into Space is the group's fifth set of new material since the original lineup re-formed in 2005, and it sees them further refining the brand of guitar-driven slacker pop that only they can create. Besides guitarist/vocalist J Mascis, bassist/vocalist Lou Barlow, and drummer Murph, the only other contributor to Sweep It Into Space is noted Dinosaur Jr. descendant Kurt Vile. Vile assists with production input and the occasional auxiliary instrumental part, showing up mostly as understated touches like the subtle 12-string guitar figures he offers as counterpoint to Mascis' Thin Lizzy-esque dual leads on the jangly "I Ran Away." Vile's presence is barely perceptible, however, as the album is solidly centered around the airtight chemistry, guitar mastery, and mumbling brilliance that has defined the band since the late '80s. "I Ain't" opens the album with a flowing, stony melody and walls of layered guitars. This and songs like "Hide Another Round" and "I Expect It Always" are built from the same combination of melody, distortion, and blissed-out confusion that has marked Dinosaur's best work. Even the few songwriting outliers – wobbly girl group approximation on "Take It Back" and chugging cosmic metal on "I Met the Stones" – can't commit to their changes for long before signature elements like a wailing solo or eerie falsetto vocal harmonies come back into focus. Throughout the album, certain melodies, phrases, guitar leads, and other elements feel familiar, revised slightly from ideas that appeared in different forms on earlier records. This is something that has happened throughout their career, and has always come off more as intentional reflection on their weird, insular universe more than self-cannibalization for lack of ideas. When Mascis' croaky cadence on "To Be Waiting" faintly recalls a moment from 1991's Green Mind, or Barlow's pained delivery on "Garden" (one of the two tracks where he sings lead) evokes the same pleading sadness as his songs on 2007's Beyond, the effect is more comforting than redundant. Much of Sweep It Into Space plays out in the same way, sounding like what we've come to expect from Dinosaur Jr. with very few advancements or revisions to the formula. For a band so singular, an album that doesn't fix what isn't broken is a welcome thing, and Sweep It Into Space boasts some of the catchiest and most immediate songs Dinosaur Jr. have released since their reunion. There aren't many sharp turns or wild surprises, just a one-of-a-kind band doing what they do best.

Tracklist:
1. I Ain't (04:11)
2. I Met the Stones (03:45)
3. To Be Waiting (04:12)
4. I Ran Away (03:30)
5. Garden (03:02)
6. Hide Another Round (03:58)
7. And Me (03:35)
8. I Expect It Always (03:39)
9. Take It Back (04:02)
10. N Say (03:15)
11. Walking To You (04:41)
12. You Wonder (03:03)


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