Sweep It Into Space by Dinosaur Jr

https://dinosaurjr.bandcamp.com/album/sweep-it-into-space

Genre: Rock

Rating: 4/5

released on bandcamp April 23, 2021

The first thing I’m inclined to say is that I’m a huge Dinosaur Jr fan. I bought the debut before the Jr was added. I still have the vinyl. I also want to point out that my ratings system is somewhat weighted toward the unknown. I occasionally review popular music but still this will be one of the biggest records I review from 2021. My focus is to find bandcamp gems available for free streaming. Anyway, the first three Dinosaur records would all receive a “transcends ratings – world treasure” rating.

This is the best studio record they’ve put out since Bug, the third of those first three. The 4/5 is relative to my favorite Sebadoh records: III, Bakesale, and Harmacy and just the Folk Implosion single Natural One is singlehandedly as valuable as an entire discography. It’s a song that’s so great it’s better than great. While I’m on it here’s a song off Harmacy that some may not have a heard and this is a song all humans should hear.

Too Pure:

Besides Lou Barlow’s non-DJ works of genius J Mascis’ excellent solo discography shouldn’t be ignored either. We’re talking about decades of great music here.

OK so that’s a lot of preamble, but, I mean, if you don’t need the background you probably don’t need the review anyway.

It’s not really fair to compare a new release to records that have been my dear friends for 25-30 years but you got the same dudes, you got the same names, so there you go.

A lot can change over years of multiple listens but at this point it’s only the two Lou Barlow tracks that really REALLY appear to wield the hammer of the gods: Garden and You Wonder. Those are the only two that give me the feeling that I’m looking at a friend I haven’t seen in years and immediately feel overcome with love. Maybe over time I’ll feel that way about this entire record. But that’s my initial impression. No offense to J Mascis. It almost frightens me that he might read this and take it as a criticism. He’s made so much great music and has improved my life. I owe him more than I could ever pay for all the joy his music and songwriting has given me.