J Mascis Stalls Out on ‘What Do We Do Now’
The venerable J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. drifts on this unimaginative release that takes no risks and leaves little enduring impression.
Christopher J. Lee
Christopher J. Lee is a contributing music writer at PopMatters. He spent some of his best years as a college radio DJ during the 1990s. Follow him on Twitter at @joonhai.
Future Islands Give Hope with ‘People Who Aren’t There Anymore’
Future Islands’ new LP is that rare album where you might find yourself with the unusual but life-affirming compulsion to dance and quietly sob at the same time.
‘Robed in Rareness’ Elaborates Shabazz Palaces’ Afrofuturism
On Robed in Rareness, Ishmael Butler aka Shabazz Palaces takes yet another step in his forward-thinking, far-sighted project of Afrofuturistic hip-hop.
Superchunk Document Their Late Style on ‘Misfits & Mistakes’
Superchunk’s Misfits & Mistakes is a fascinating glimpse of them trying new things while reaffirming their signature contributions to the indie rock canon.
Just ‘Kids’: Lou Barlow and John Davis of the Folk Implosion Return
John Davis and Lou Barlow revisit the song, album, and soundtrack that helped make the Folk Implosion a seminal trip-hop-indebted indie-rock success story.
‘In Utero (30th Anniversary Super Deluxe)’ Re-Canonizes Nirvana’s Best Album
Nirvana’s In Utero is both an acknowledgment of the deleterious impact of fame and a real-time endeavor to use that fame to beneficial ends.
John P. Strohm Returns with Elegiac ‘Something to Look Forward To’
Prompted by the passing of a friend, John P. Strohm returns after 16 years with an album of mid-life reflections and the pop savvy he is known for.
Animal Collective Do What They Do on ‘Isn’t It Now?’
Animal Collective’s Isn’t It Now? suggests both urgency and passivity, displaying some of their best attributes but also their self-circumscribed limits.
‘The Music of Heatmiser’ Restores Elliott Smith’s Early Ambition
The Music of Heatmiser provides a fascinating glimpse of Elliott Smith’s early career with the band, whose music contrasts with his better-known solo work.
Woods Find Continued Renewal on ‘Perennial’
Woods’ Perennial is about return and the comforts of routine, whether in music or life and middle-age acceptance relating to identity and the passage of time.
Mitski Beguiles on ‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We’
Mitski’s The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We marks a shift away from her earlier work toward a more mainstream sound that might even be called Americana.
Explosions in the Sky Reach Uncertain Denouement with ‘End’
Explosions in the Sky summon an oracular experience, opening sonic spaces full of emotion and empty of subjectivity that can be imbued with a listener’s meaning.