It’s all but inconceivable that J Mascis requires an introduction. In the quarter-century since he founded Dinosaur (Jr.), Mascis has created some of the era’s signature songs, albums and styles. As a skier, golfer, songwriter, skateboarder, record producer, and musician, he has few peers. Playing European shows in support of his recent critically acclaimed album 'Several Shades of Why', Mascis will arrive in London on April 14th for a show now moved to The Garage in Highbury.
'Several Shades of Why' is Mascis’ first solo studio record, a record of incredible beauty, performed with a delicacy not always associated with his work. Recorded at Amherst Massachusetts’ Bisquiteen Studios, the album is nearly all acoustic and was created with the help of a few friends. Notable amongst them are Kurt Vile, Sophie Trudeau (A Silver Mount Zion), Kurt Fedora (long-time collusionist), Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene), Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses), Pall Jenkins (Black Heart Procession), Matt Valentine (The Golden Road), and Suzanne Thorpe (Wounded Knees). Together in small mutable groupings, they conjure up classic sounds ranging from English-tinged folk to drifty, West Coast-style singer/songwriterism. But every track, every note even, bears that distinct Mascis watermark.
“Megan from Sub Pop has wanted me to do this record for a long time,” says Mascis. “She was very into it when I was playing solo a lot in the early 2000s, around the time of the Fog album (2002’s 'Free So Free'). She always wanted to know when I’d do a solo record. ('Several Shades of Why') came out of that. There are a couple of songs that are older, but the rest is new this year. And it’s basically all acoustic. There’s some fuzz, but it’s acoustic through fuzz. There’re no drums on it, either. Just one tambourine song, that’s it. It was a specific decision to not have drums. Usually I like to have them, but going drum-less pushes everything in a new direction, and makes it easier to keep things sounding different.”
There is little evidence of stress on 'Several Shades of Why'. The title track is a duet with Sophie Trudeau’s violin recalling Nick Drake’s work at its most elegant. ‘Not Enough’ feels like a lost hippie-harmony classic from David Crosby’s 'If I Could Only Remember My Name'. ‘Is It Done’ rolls like one of the Grisman/Garcia tunes on American Beauty. ‘Very Nervous and Love’ has the same rich vibe as the amazing rural side of Terry Reid’s 'The River'. And on and on it goes. Ten brilliant tunes that quietly grow and expand until they fill your brain with the purest pleasure.
UK and Ireland Dates in April:
13th - Dublin, Whelans
14th - London, Relentless Garage *venue changed*
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