J Mascis - Tied to a Star
by Daniel Cressey
published: 14 / 8 / 2014

Label:
Sub Pop
Format: CD
intro
Surprisingly understated yet excellent latest solo record from Dinosaur Jr front-man and guitarist, J Mascis
'Tied to a Star' is a surprisingly laid back album from Dinosaur Jr frontman J Mascis. After a bitter break-up Mascis reconciled with his original Dinosaur Jr. bandmates Lou Barlow and Murph in the latter half of the last decade. Since then they have pounding out growling, fuzzy rock at levels equal to (if not exceeding) their heyday in the 80s and 90s. It might have been expected that this revival would has filtered through to Mascis’s latest solo record. Instead he seems to have taken the summer to heart with a mellow and generally acoustic set of chilled out songs. This is not to say that anyone could mistake these pieces as coming from anyone other than Mascis. His trademark vocals still range from high-pitched crooning to a low-pitched hard-to-decipher drawl. And while he may have relaxed a bit, there is enough feedback and distortion on his guitar lines to remind you that this man laid down the template for grunge before Nirvana and everyone else decided it captured their anger pretty well. Maybe Mascis is saving his full on noise for Dinosaur Jr’s new material. Maybe he just wanted a change of pace. Whatever the reason, 'Tied to a Star' is a welcome addition
Track Listing:-
1 Me Again2 Every Morning
3 Heal the Star
4 Wide Awake
5 Stumble
6 And Then
7 Drifter
8 Trailing Off
9 Come Down
10 Better Plane
Band Links:-
https://twitter.com/jmascishttp://www.jmascis.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JMascisOfficial
Label Links:-
https://www.subpop.com/https://www.facebook.com/subpoprecords
https://plus.google.com/+subpop
https://twitter.com/subpop
http://subpop.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/subpoprecords
bandcamp
reviews |
Several Shades of Why (2011) |
![]() |
Exclusively acoustic and brilliant solo album from Dinosaur Jr. front man, J Mascis |
most viewed articles
current edition
Peter Doherty - Blackheath Halls, Blackheath and Palace Halls, Watford, 18/3/2025 and 21/3/2025Armory Show - Interview with Richard Jobson
Liz Mitchell - Interview
Deb Googe and Cara Tivey - Interview
Lauren Mayberry - Photoscapes
Max Bianco and the BlueHearts - Troubadour, London, 29/3/2025
Garfunkel and Garfunkel Jr. - Interview
Maarten Schiethart - Vinyl Stories
Clive Langer - Interview
Sukie Smith - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Davey Woodward - Mumbo in the JumboNigel Stonier - Wolf Notes
Wings - Venus and Mars
Kate Daisy Grant and Nick Pynn - Songs For The Trees
Only Child - Holy Ghosts
Neil Campbell - The Turnaround
Philip Jeays - Victoria
Darkness - Dreams On Toast
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
Charles Ellsworth - Cosmic Cannon Fodder
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart