Dinosaur Jnr. were one of the defining bands of the American underground rock music scene back in the 80s. Together with acts like Husker Du, Sonic Youth, Big Black and the Butthole Surfers they took elements of punk, hardcore, pop and rock and created a visceral and diverse form of noisecore - music that harnessed noise and feedback as an integral part of the overall sonic identity.

Lead singer and guitarist J.Mascis became an unlikely guitar hero and poster boy for the slacker generation, paving the way for Grunge and a time when slacker chic became de riguer in the 90s. He even managed to make the dreaded guitar solo fashionable again with an indie crowd that had previously shied away from anything tainted by an association with 70s style ‘progressive rock’.

Following a flirtation with major label success and an extremely messy and acrimonious split, the band pursued various side projects before a surprise reformation in 2005.
I Bet on Sky is their third album since they reformed, and it is evident that even after 25 years, J Mascis and the boys have a lot to offer. This is no tired rehash of past glories, but conclusive evidence that the fire still burns brightly for one of the most influential alternative acts of the 80s and 90s. While it lacks the searing intensity of classic earlier albums like Bug or You’re Living All Over Me, there is enough here to satisfy the die- hard fans and entice those new to the band to explore a little further.

Despite their noisy origins, there was always a strong, melodic pop sensibility at the heart of their best work and I Bet On Sky contains a batch of songs that ranks up there with some of their best to date.  'Don’t Pretend You Didn’t Know’ gets the album off to a flying start, while tracks like ‘Watch the Corners’ ‘Almost Fare’ and ‘Stick a Toe In’ are all strong cuts – J Mascis delivers these songs in his trademark laconic drawl and there are plenty of guitar pyrotechnics along the way to keep the aging air guitarist in each of us happy.

I Bet on Sky proves that Dinosaur Jnr. are not quite ready to take the easy option and coast downhill towards middle aged respectability; for that we should be extremely grateful.

Review by Paul Page