J Mascis + The Fog: More Light

Dinosaur Jr. remains one of the most overlooked links between the underground Amerindie scene of the '80s and the major-label alternative explosion of the '90s. Sure, singer, songwriter, and guitarist J Mascis benefited from the Nirvana factor, but his lazy guitar heroics helped connect punk with its classic-rock roots well before Pearl Jam hooked up with Neil Young. But compared to Seattle's numerous grungies, Dinosaur Jr. was simply too good-natured to compete against all that angst, even if the band could blow most of them away through sheer force of feedback alone. Mascis bowed as a solo artist with 1996's acoustic Martin + Me, which gave his fans just what they didn't want, so More Light might be considered a return to form. The disc is loud, unfailingly melodic, and pretty laid-back (as befits a legendary stoner whose hobbies include skiing and golf). The overwhelming fuzz of "Where'd You Go" and "I'm Not Fine" sound like Crazy Horse-era Young rave-ups, while the title track even out-noises former labelmate Sonic Youth, though "Sam Day" and "Back Before You Go" show an inclination toward power-pop that peeks out from behind the guitar squall. Said squall may have something to do with longtime Mascis friend Kevin Shields, the reclusive mastermind behind My Bloody Valentine, who surely encouraged Mascis' earwax-clearing approach to production. Even quieter moments ("Can't I Take This On," "Grand Me To You") are recognizably Mascis-y in execution, if only because his whining, relaxed vocals so often set the tone of his songs. Whether More Light will prove strong enough to once again set the tone of indie music, let alone contemporary guitar-rock, is another question entirely, though it's no doubt the last one on Mascis' mind. As usual, he sounds more concerned with unfashionable navel-gazing rock than earth-changing works of mass cultural importance and emotional resonance, making it hard to fault his continuing dedication to creative ambivalence.