Several Shades Of Why

J Mascis | Format: MP3 Music

Product Details

• Original Release Date: March 15, 2011
• Release Date: March 15, 2011
• Label: Sub Pop Records
• Copyright: 2011 Sub Pop Records
• Record Company Required Metadata: Music file metadata contains unique purchase identifier. Learn more.
• Total Length: 41:12
• Genres:
  • Alternative Rock
• ASIN: B004QHU74M
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,376 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Shaded in muted colors April 6, 2011

By Lars Kinchler

Format:Audio CD

Another 4 star effort by my favorite Neil disciple.

We all know that J is sensitive because of songs like Keeblin', I Got Lost, Sideways, Flying Cloud, etc. Until now, all of his releases have included one or two of these detailed pickin'/strummin' tunes. But this album is more or less an entire showcase of quiet gems.

The guitar work is no less impressive than on the shreddy/slabby/crunchy noise-infested and distorted D Jr. albums that we all love. It's just that this one is almost entirely acoustic. And the impeccably folky playing is paired with excellent harmonies, like the matched courses of a 12 string guitar. Great interplay, especially for this style of quiet tunes, it is fine music for the evening denouement.

It's like...the aural equivalent of an expertly-Shaded color pencil drawing.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars mature and candid March 23, 2011

By Jeff Horwat

Format:Vinyl

this album is really beautiful to listen to. the guitar work is softer but still has j's signiture sound which translates well with the acoustic. the lyrics are were this album really shines. while dinosaur albums always carry a well written ambigious narrative they tend to be over shadowed by j's ability to shred a nasty rift. the acoustic guitar's gentleness allows his lyrics to surface as the dominate sonic element. the album reveals a pretty human experience i think most people who like this genre of music can relate to and has some beautifully candid lines (i've been waiting for an answer but the question takes too long... ) i'm totally biased, i love everything this guy makes and could listen to him bang on guitar strings until i'm deaf, but i was cautious about the acoustic guitar /singer /song writer spiel. its really a great album with great album art and something i'll be listening to for a while.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Still carrying that weight March 20, 2011

By Ryan K. Fry

Format:Audio CD

Getting a feel for Several Shades of Why May may reward the cursory listener with a feel similar to one that could be had by stringing together all of those quieter, campfire friendly numbers on Dinosaur Jr's slew of 90s releases - that trademark bracket of stoned surrender within which all of the songs here sit comfortably. The unsyncopated, over-the-top riffs characterizing virtually all of J's other work show up here in a much more subdued form if they show up at all. This time around J explores much softer and ultimately more melodic ground, and he has the company of about half a dozen others helping make it all happen. The pleasantly repetitious "Listen to Me" appeals as the perfect opening statement for a body of work rich in emotional highs and lows. "Not Enough" tromps along cheerfully augmented with Ben Bridwell, Kevin Drew, and Kurt Vile joining J Mascis in vocal duties creating a heartfelt quartet. Another highmark is hazily reached in "Make It Right", where Suzanne Thorpe's flute provides one of the most uplifting hooks of all. Indeed, the album seems to be J's most convincing stab at acoustic credibility so far and not since his previous solo release over ten years ago, the live Martin + Me, has it been executed with the same amount of convinction. If at any point you begin thinking that this just might be J's most intimate and melodically pleasing record yet, then the catchy melancholic closer "What Happened" should provide more than enough justification for starting the whole thing back over for the first of many times.