Indie rock icons Dinosaur Jr. released a series of highly influential albums in the late '80s that saw them marry the sludgy aggression of heavy metal and hardcore punk with a Neil Youngish sense of melody and lyrical sensitivity. The band's original -- and best -- lineup called it quits in 1988, but main songwriter and guitar player J. Mascis plugged away for a few more progressively less interesting albums under the Dinosaur Jr. moniker. The original band (Mascis, Lou Barlow on bass, Murph on drums) got back together for a series of tours in the last couple years and have now recorded a new album, "Beyond," due out in May. Taken from that album, "Almost Ready" is dominated by Mascis' jaggedly pretty guitar playing and lyrical insecurities. The song is a little lighter than my favorite Dinosaur Jr. material, but it's strong enough to bode well for the rest of the album.
-- D.M.
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