High Bias review Free So Free

[AGAP]

J MASCIS + THE FOG
Free So Free
(Ultimatum/Artemis)
Free So Free, the latest album by J Mascis, the man formerly known as Dinosaur Jr., is allegedly a concept album about skydiving. OK, sure, whatever. Whether you buy into the theme or not, however, you can’t deny that this record is one of Mascis’ strongest collections of songs. Mascis doesn’t do anything here you haven’t heard him do before—creaky vocals, melodies that split the difference between punk, pop and classic rock and overdriven guitar sounds abound. This is one guy who knows his strengths and sticks to them. But there’s more inherent tunefulness here than on any record he’s made since the landmark Dino Jr. album Where You Been. "Bobbin," "Tell the Truth" and "Freedom" have singalong choruses and big fat hooks; if not for Mascis’ trademark guitar sludge, they’d qualify as power pop. The mostly acoustic "Someone Said" and "If Thats How Its Gotta Be" waft gently by as a couple of Mascis’ prettiest ballads, while "Everybody Lets Me Down" is some of his purest pop (despite the skronky lead guitar). The title track rides a wistful melody, unusually soulful vocals and some of Mascis’ most lyrical ax wrangling, on both acoustic and electric, no less. Mascis will never be accused of progression, but as long as he does what he does as well as he does it on Free So Free, no one can begrudge him sticking with success. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Built to Spill, Neil Young, Buffalo Tom

High Bias

I’d accuse him of progress

[Bucky Ramone]

Hey Allison (dB pushes some statistics up again ),

Nice review, and a tip for FC: ‘skronky’ might be the perfect translation for that ‘gniedel’-stuff that turns up in a lot of those German reviews (oops, there go the smiley-statistics again… )

[FlyingCloud]

didn’t know the expression "skronky" before, but yes, it seems to fit with what those German reviewers try to describe with "gniedeling guitars". I thought about to translate it with "noodling", but that word might have a negative touch?

However, who can describe J’s guitar playing accurately?
(smilie statistics I’m definitely pushing it, whatever it is )

[Bucky Ramone]

"Flying Cloud" wrote:

(smilie statistics I’m definitely pushing it, whatever it is )

…..just check the statistics, and be amazed about the "Top Used Smilies"

[FlyingCloud]

definitely a cool statistic site … haven’t seen it yet, thanks
seems, the little lightbulb needs some support. And where is mrgreen (:mrgreen:)???

[Author]

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