Album Review: Dinosaur Jr - I Bet On Sky

Can it be? Yes, it most certainly is – a great, big breezy synthesiser opens Dinosaur Jr's tenth album. Have the long-toothed, fuzz-rock icons turned '80s revivalists? Whilst 2009's emotionally epic Farm was an exemplary summation of the band's sound and outlook, even its most ardent supporters would have to concede that it didn't exactly shatter new ground. I Bet On Sky doesn't redefine Dinosaur Jr, but it does feature the occasional experiment, as the band seem to be trying to wriggle their way out of the mould. I Know It Oh So Well has a funky wah-wah edge to it. Some suspiciously flute-like sounds emerge halfway through Watch The Corners. But for the most part, the tried-and-tested formula remains intact. No matter what diversions the band try out, you can rely on the fact that nearly every song will showcase another of J Mascis's rangy, magnificent guitar solos that seem to draw their extraordinary power from some heavenly source, and the solo that closes Watch The Corners arguably resides alongside his best. Sticking to their usual topics of being dazed, confused and occasionally resentful, age is becoming to them. Mascis's cracked vocals have become increasing frail, as he sounds – and looks to some extent – like a sun-damaged hobbit.

A decent shot at trying to overturn a few expectations, although it's all a little sad when you consider that the lo-fi experimentation that made early albums such as You're Living All Over Me such a success is now just a historical remnant.