When
Dinosaur Jr. roared into existence in the mid-'80s, "subtle" was the last word anyone would have used to describe them, between the overpowering volume of
J Mascis' guitar work and the addled shrug of his vocals. But three decades on, nuance is something
Mascis has learned to do very well; on 2011's
Several Shades of Why and 2014's
Tied to a Star, he stripped back his sound to its framework, put the emphasis on acoustic guitars, and demonstrated the hidden strengths of his songwriting while developing a new gift for articulation when lower volume gave his voice fewer places to hide. 2018's
Elastic Days follows the rough framework of those albums, though it also features more electric accents in the arrangements, less as an effort to make this album rock than to add some different flavors to the mix (and "Sometimes" and "Everything She Said" both rock pretty convincingly even before
Mascis plugs in and starts to wail near the fade-out). As on his two previous solo efforts,
Mascis handles all the instrumental work on
Elastic Days, except for piano and some backing vocals, and the fact he's nearly as good behind the drums as he is on guitar goes a long way towards making these songs work. This music may be quiet compared to what
Mascis does with his main band, but it still has energy and a commanding pulse despite the lack of amps. These tracks draw the listener in and command attention from first song to last. And if a stoned murmur has been
Mascis' vocal trademark for years, on this album he sounds more lucid, better focused, and more conscious of what he has to say; the performances have a depth of feeling he doesn't always reveal in
Dinosaur Jr., and coupled with the cool fire of the music,
Elastic Days is music that comes from the heart, and it feels good. It would probably be a mistake if
Mascis finally shut down
Dinosaur Jr. for good, but he's been enjoying an impressive winning streak as a solo artist, and
Elastic Days is another example of the strength and confidence he's gained from turning down the volume. ~ Mark Deming