In some ways this is a mellower record than some of Jr.‘s previous. Listeners jonesing for the frenzied stylings of yore might be let down a tiny bit. This one is a little more grown up. But the bridge in “Over It” definitely delivers on some of that good old fashioned fast-paced stuff. There’s also a playful quality to some of the guitar work in “Over it,” and the solo with nasally high notes in “I Want You to Know” seems both caricatured and very sincere. “See You” has some of the same pretty strumming reminiscent of “Start Choppin’.” And in “Ocean In the Way” the mellow break-down in the middle is classic Mascis. With its rich heavy texture punctuated by piercing wails and Mascis intoning “C’mon down…” it just feels like he feels your pain (sic).
 
But I’m no guitar virtuoso, so I’m gonna talk about Murph. Now, let the record indicate clearly that not only am I a longtime fan who listens to a lot of Dinosaur Jr. on a regular basis, but I’m also a drummer. So Murph has always delivered the goods for me bigtime. This record is no exception. His playing is big and tight and dead on. In other words, vintage Murph.  Believe it or not, Murph also scores major points for restraint. I could pick out a few points where lesser drummers might have been tempted to take the plunge on a look-at-me flourish, or a big rock ending. But restraint is the mark of a pro, and Murph is pro all the way.

And talking about Murph without talking about Lou Barlow would be criminal. I tend to think of Dinosaur Jr. as a power trio with each member bringing equal parcels of power. So it’s easy to forget that Murph and Lou are still, and always have been, a rhythm section. And while it’s not surprising how tight they are as a team, what’s really beautiful is how his bass work blends so seamlessly with J’s guitar. I feel like I can hear Lou on some songs better than others, like “Your Weather,” for example. But even on the ones where I can’t hear him so distinctly, the textural depth lets me know he's there, and doing his job beautifully.

There really are no surprises in this record. The only surprise is how good it is. Which shouldn’t be a surprise at all. It’s so easy for many of us to be dismissive of long-time musicians who put out new material. But sometimes it’s as simple as maturation. Some people, and some bands, just get better with age. That’s the great thing about musicians as opposed to athletes. I would argue that Dinosaur Jr. are better now than they’ve ever been. They’ve been doing it forever, they know what they like to play, and they’re good at it. Always have been. Now they’re only better.