Roaring for Dinosaur Jr.'s New Album: A Review

Dinosaur Jr. : I Bet On Sky

Genre: Alternative

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Tracks: 11

Tracks and Ratings:

1. Don't Pretend You Didn't Know (8.5/10)

2. Watch the Corners (8/10)

3. Almost Fare (8.5/10)

4. Stick a Toe In (7/10)

5. Rude (9/10)

6. I Know It Oh So Well (8/10)

7. Pierce the Morning Rain (9/10)

8. What Was That (8.5/10)

9. Recognition (7.5/10)

10. See It On Your Side (8/10)

11. Pond Song (Live) (9.5/10)

Average Rating: 83%

Thoughts:

      Dinosaur Jr. has just released their 10th album - I Bet On Sky. Featuring 11 tracks, and the original member lineup consisting of J.Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph, I Bet On Sky is a promising album.

     One of the album's highlights was "Pond Song" (Live). As a live recording, I found that it had a lot of energy. In fact, I felt like I could see them playing this song by just listening to the audio! The listener could sense the energy and passion of the song and still feel like they're at a Dinosaur Jr. concert. 

     Additionally, "Watch the Corners" and "Almost Fare" are similar to the band's old sound as far back as from the '90s. They teleport the listener back to the '90s, while still sounding up to date and current, which is a pleasing mix. Artists must mature, and their art often reflects that. This is the case for both of these songs. 

     Another appealing aspect to this album were the lyrics. For instance, in "Rude", there is a lyric that particularly stood out to me: "It's easier to think that if I could change, the world could change, that's not true." I felt that in its own way, it was relatable. Each listener will find a different interpretation of these lyrics, however to me, they have a relatable quality to them, which I enjoy. 

    A negative aspect of the album was that certain songs just did not appeal to me at all (see songs with lowest ratings). I either loved the songs, or found them mediocre. They seemed too dry, with no ups and downs to the music, and were quite repetitive.

     All in all, I recommend I Bet On Sky as it contains songs with toe-tappings beats, songs to listen to while you chill out, and songs that will make you energized. For a tenth album, these dinos have still got it.