I BET ON SKY

I BET ON SKY

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<i>I Bet on Sky</i> is the third Dinosaur Jr. album since the original trio J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph reformed in 2005. And, crazily, it marks the band s 10th studio album since their debut on Homestead Records in 1985. Back in the 80s, if anyone has suggested that these guys would be performing and recording at such a high level 27 years later, they would have been laughed out of the tree fort. <br><br>The trio has taken everything they ve learned from the various projects they tackled over the years, and poured it directly into their current mix. J s guitar approaches some of its most unhinged playing here, but there s a sense of instrumental control that matches the sweet murk of his vocals (not that he always remembers to exercise control on stage, but that s another milieu). This is head-bobbing riff-romance at the apex. Lou s basswork shows a lot more melodicism now as well, although his two songs on I Bet on Sky retain the jagged rhythmic edge that has so often marked his work. And Murph...well, he still pounds the drums as hard and as strong as a pro wrestler, with deceptively simple structures that manage to interweave themselves perfectly with his bandmates melodic explosions.<br><br>After submerging myself in <i>I Bet on Sky</i>, it s clear that the album is a true and worthy addition to the Dinosaur Jr. discography. It hews close enough to rock formalism to please the squares. Yet it is brilliantly imprinted with the trio s magical equation, which is a gift to the rest of us. For a combo that began as anomalous fusion of hardcore punk and pop influences, Dinosaur Jr. have proven themselves to be unlikely masters of the long game.