2011 albums of the year : #6

6. several shades of why j mascis sub pop, march 15, 2011 "several shades of why"

i hadn't listened to j mascis since the mid-90s, with dinosaur jr., and so it was a surprise to hear him turn up again on my radar nearly twenty years later. it was even more of a surprise to see him now, a little heavier and hair all grey. but, in some ways, the effects of time more neatly befit the weariness in his voice, and the combination is perfectly suited for a mostly acoustic record.