On Dinosaur Jr.'s self-titled 1985 debut, J Mascis sang, "I never try that much 'cause I'm scared of feeling." Over the last 26 years, Mascis has produced a number of guitar-rock touchstones, yet it's been tough to tell exactly how much effort and emotion has gone into his work. Cited as one of the original slackers, his demeanor is infamously laconic to the point of aloofness; even as he peels off some of the most ear-busting guitar solos you've ever heard live, he sometimes looks like he's about to doze off while doing so. Meanwhile, his words-- usually involving vague alienation and confusion-- are often drowned out by the ungodly squall behind him. Across his career, Mascis has let distortion, excess wattage, and virtuoso technique do most of the talking for him, and the translation can be surprisingly clear. But Several Shades of Why is different.
It's his first solo album of all original material and it's almost entirely acoustic. Here, the grey-haired 45 year old's weathered husk of a voice is close-mic'd, as if he's drawling mere inches away from your head at all times. And while he was rightfully dubbed "the first American indie rock guitar hero" by Michael Azerrad in Our Band Could Be Your Life-- and has backed that claim up with countless memorable solos-- the songs on Several Shades of Why are marked by background strums and finger-picking rather than spotlit wails. By using his own name and going with such bare sonics, it's reasonable to suggest that this album could be Mascis' most knowingly personal yet. On the title track, he clears up the whole "trying" issue, kind of. "I'm not saying much, I tried hard, that's all I do," he croaks, his feelings of hurt, wisdom, and wistfulness fearlessly up-front.
Though the album is confessional in nature, the reveals are relative-- there are no clear narratives and almost comically nondescript song titles like "Not Enough", "What Happened", and "Is It Done", are good representations of the ambiguous pronouns (and profundity) found therein. Dinosaur Jr. bassist Lou Barlow once said Mascis "had nothing to say, yet he had everything to say," which is about right. But, even considering the imprecise language, Mascis does a fair amount of telling through his indelible voice, which wears its years with crackling grace. Though Neil Young has been a common reference point for Mascis' vocals since he first opened his mouth to sing, Several Shades of Why has him going for After the Gold Rush-type intimacy like never before. So when he finishes the Laurel Canyon hangover track "Not Enough" with "I know my love is over/ And I wish I didn't know," the simple admission carries serious heft.
That song is also aided by the vocal talents of Band of Horses' Ben Bridwell, Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew, and J's current tourmate Kurt Vile, whose recent album Smoke Ring for My Halo shares a somber eloquence with this one. Guests are used frequently and wisely throughout the album-- adding subtle vocal harmonies or instrumental atmospherics-- proving that the notoriously non-communicative songwriter still knows how to make the right connections when he needs to. None of the featured players are more effective than Godspeed You! Black Emperor violinist Sophie Trudeau, who adds elegant ache to the title track. For all of his technical gifts, Mascis is wise enough to know he shouldn't do it all, a fact supported by Dinosaur Jr.'s brilliant comeback this century. (While Barlow and Dino drummer Murph are nowhere to be found on this album, they are thanked in the liners.)
On opener "Listen to Me", Mascis repeats the song's titular phrase in a pleading voice. As the album's 10 tracks unravel with effortless, low-key ease, it's easy to obey his appeal. He's no longer "scared of feeling," though that doesn't mean he's not scared. The specter of loneliness and aging is a through-line here, too, brilliantly visualized by artist Marq Spusta's gorgeous cover, which shows a pair of fuzzy, unmistakably J-like creatures-- one big, one tiny-- using a sea monster's back for an island. (Mascis had a son in 2007.) Though dour, Mascis' sleeve avatar is also kind of cute. Several Shades of Why gives us that softer, gentler J Mascis. But it's not kids' stuff-- these are lullabies for adults, offered up with a compassion that doesn't come easy.
