Dinosaur Jr
Beyond
Liberation

Synergy can be defined as: 'a mutually advantageous conjunction where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts'. The return of the original three members to Dinosaur Jr (J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph) makes for a great example of synergy, as highlighted by J Mascis's lacklustre albums without these two guys as his muse. From the opening seconds of 'Beyond' and the predictable delight that is another brilliant Mascis guitar solo, to the re-emergence of Barlow and Murph as a powerful rhythm section, it is quite evident that the good old days of Dinosaur Jr are back. That is not to suggest that 'Beyond' is a journey into nostalgia; it instead just takes up where they left off.

For instance, Crumble is the classic slacker rock sound that only Dinosaur Jr can do, a forlorn Mascis mumbling about his woes under-girded by sweet guitar melodies that just cruise along. Pick Me Up is certainly not the strongest song on the album, but the listener is distracted from the unremarkable songwriting by Mascis's masterful solos.

I Got Lost is at the least a cousin to, if not a reworking of, Not The Same (off 'Where You Been'), but this kind of falsetto balladry is very necessary amidst the barrage of raucous guitars that the rest of 'Beyond' provides. The two tracks penned by Barlow (Lightning Bulb and Back To Your Heart) are quite distinct, but are still very cool and seem to have a Teenage Fanclub type of charm. However, it is moments like the loveable rock single, Been There All The Time, that is likely to capture a new generation of fans and reveal to them why alternative rock fans of years gone by hailed Dinosaur Jr as kings of the scene.

'Beyond' not only reminds us of Dinosaur Jr's spectacular past, but it ensures us that the Mascis and co still have a future. This is not a return for the sake of nostalgia but a return to form.

Scott Berry