J Mascis What Do We Do Now

After nearly four decades of writing music, J Mascis does run the risk of being misunderstood for repeating himself. And to an extent, it's not entirely wrong: Dinosaur Jr. seems to have peaked during their second act. But What Do We Do Now, his first solo album in six years, rolls out with a few new surprises. Centered around mostly acoustic ballads, tracks like Can't Believe We're Here and I Can't Find You highlight the revered shredder's bittersweet ruminations with additional piano arrangements. His typically droll vocal delivery ends up soaring with more emotional coloring, likely due to him stripping away some of his virtuoso guitar playing. And yes, Mascis does aim for a blown-out outro or two whenever the song allows (It's True). It's not quite at the level of Without a Sound, Mascis' definitive pop moment, but What Do We Do Now is the closest he's been to showing his more tender side in years.

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We discussed this record and more in our February 2024 New Music Round-Up. Listen here and please consider subscribing to support the website.