Dinosaur Jr.

Eons ago—way back in the ’80s and ’90s—a band called Dinosaur Jr. roamed the earth. It was the master of its domain, known primarily for the ferocious noise it produced and grunge, the movement it helped spark. Yet in a move right out of “Jurassic Park,” Dinosaur Jr. has been revived ten years after the band’s last album with its original lineup. And just like that movie’s earthshaking, jeep-terrorizing T-rex, their new album, “Beyond,” is badass.

After 1989, the band was like a revolving door of musicians, with vocalist and guitarist J Mascis remaining the only constant member. Fortunately, the original trio of musicians that made up Dinosaur Jr.—Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Emmett “Murph” Murphy—have reunited on “Beyond,” capturing much of their old sound and skillfully exploring some new territory.

From the very first song, “Almost Ready,” Dinosaur Jr. drags the listener back to its former, late-’80s glory. Blazing guitar riffs, heavy distortion and feedback, and a thumping drum accompaniment immediately recall the raucous sound that the band made their own oh-so-long ago.

“Pick Me Up,” the album’s third track, is perhaps the strongest on the album. It’s totally true to the band’s former work, and makes the listener forget that these guys are no longer grunge rockers but rather a bunch of middle-aged dudes. The six-minute, 32-second song is laced with a variety of different guitar motifs for the first two-thirds or so, smoothly transitioning from shrill cries to fast, distorted licks, and finally to a much heavier plunking. The last minutes of the song are all guitar noodling, accompanied by throbbing drums and a simple, fuzzy backing guitar. The solo sings out beautifully, fluctuating between leisurely slides and quick hammers.

“It’s Me,” the album’s seventh track, is something of a new direction for the band with much heavier bass licks and drum parts. While not exactly their standard fanfare, the song’s a welcome change after six tracks of ear-piercing electric guitar squealing.

The following song, “We’re Not Alone,” goes in a softer direction, blending acoustic guitar along with the electric and shifting into a simple, upbeat rhythm about two minutes in. This track nicely harmonizes the different elements of Dinosaur Jr.’s career, incorporating the heavy elements from their early years, as well as the acoustic, softer side they developed throughout the nineties.

“I Got Lost” is another standout. Written by Barlow, the song is arranged masterfully. Acoustic guitar enters first, followed by electric guitar, then tom-toms. Eventually, the bovine lowing of horsehair across violin strings permeates the background behind the high, aspirated singing of J Mascis. Again, this song isn’t the usual for Dinosaur Jr.; their next track starts up hard and heavy, as if they were embarrassed to display their vulnerable side.

The album is lyrically simple. Some of the songs, such as “Back To Your Heart,” seem to be about the band itself—the trials it underwent, the break-up, the reconciliation, etc. Mascis cryptically sings: “Tell me what you want and I will try to be, everywhere, all the time, think about the future, let the past unwind.” The lyrics come between repeated choruses of “Back To The Heart,” offering an optimistic outlook on the band’s present and future.

Dinosaur Jr.’s “Beyond” is remarkably good considering their lengthy sabbatical. We can only hope that they release another album before the next life-ending meteor hits Earth, and that it won’t suck as much as “The Lost World.”

—Reviewer Joshua J. Kearney can be reached at kearney@fas.harvard.edu.