•
Rating: J Mascis and Lou Barlow have decided to reform the young dinosaur and bring it around the world, seemingly indifferent to the lifelong hatred they had vowed for each other, and primarily, the indifference and deafening silence that had interrupted, back in 1989, one of the most seminal partnerships of pre-Nirvana American rock.
In fact, with the imminent arrival of a new album of unreleased material, they will evidently put an end to the rumors, real or unfounded, that spoke of two egos too strong to coexist in the same house. If they have reformed for money like almost all reunions, given that their last solo works were a commercial failure, these are idle questions that are moot. It is certain, however, that J's band officially reformed a year ago to promote live the reissues of the first three albums released by the benevolent Rhino. "You're Living All Over Me" is the second and most acclaimed.
In the opinion of the writer, along with "Daydream Nation," probably the greatest guitar album ever. J Mascis, when photographed or giving interviews, is known to yawn and mumble words, but with the guitar, he is a force of nature. He hurls tons of decibels into the listener's ears, avalanches of feedback and wah wah in a way that only he knows how to do. The wonderful opening of "Little Fury Things" already sets the stylistic hallmark that many will try to imitate without matching its inspiration and subversive charge: white noise, sonic violence, and irresistible pop melodies. Sung by the dyslexic and "younghian" voice of the brave J.
The entire album becomes an alternation of pop anthems ("In A Jar"), unheard-of guitar riffs ("Sludgefast") and lo-fi experimentalism like "Poledo" which anticipates the slacker for life of Pavement and their offspring. Subsequently, they will produce the indie hit "Freak Scene" and the grumpy J, riding the long wave of grunge, will also know mainstream success with the equally splendid "Where You Been" but the story had already been written here.
Tracklist and Videos
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By Alessandro Gentili
J Mascis lives in his own inner world, and his songs are attempts, not even too convinced, to communicate the incommunicable.
He has given us great songs that have one merit: that of not making you feel alone when everything is going wrong.
