aaamusic | On 14, Mar 2011

While it may at first be slightly confusing for the front-man of one of the world’s loudest bands to kick back and release an album almost entirely made up of gentle acoustic workouts with nary a heavily distorted guitar solo between them, but lets take a look at some recent history, the list of former front men of legendary punk bands taking up an acoustic geetar and plucking some down-homey folk music is now rather long indeed. Most notably in ex Million Dead singer Frank Turner, who canned a career in British Rocks great white hopes to write some of the best songs written in the past twenty odd years and sell out Brixton Academy last December, but also in the likes of Chuck Ragan, Jonah Matranga and Dave Hause, it’s heartening to see then that J Mascis has crafted an album that holds up to, and sometimes bests, the bar set by men at least a decade younger than him.

And crafting is what this is. The songs are immaculate, dusted with some astonishing guitar playing and Mascis’ weathered croon complimenting them perfectly, much like a less nasal Neil Young. Opener Listen To Me sets the tone for the album with all of those listed above and therein lies the one flaw in the album, the fact that, as good as these songs are, they aren’t half quite similar sometimes. However, if the songs are good enough, then that isn’t a problem, and the songs are most definitely good enough, and then some. It manages to be relaxed throughout the whole album without sounding tired, carefree but not inconsequential, a bit like wasting time with a good friend, not going to change the world, but you’ll be damned if you can think of better way to spend your time.

Unfortunately that’s all I have to say on the album, these are great songs performed astonishingly well by a man so revered it would be easy for him to rest on his laurels and churn out more “Bug” sound-alikes when he feels like it, but instead he’s chosen to challenge himself, an attitude that should be inspiring to any musician regardless of age. If you have a passing interest in music that doesn’t need to rant and rage in order to be affecting, then check this out as soon as humanly possible.

Author: Will Howard