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As more or less of an outsider looking in I’m going to review this album. I’ve never listened to anything by Dinosaur Jr. and some of you can cast me to hell right now for saying this, but I’ve never even heard of the band before a press release came across my desk announcing the release of the new album. This could be a good thing for this album- there’s a bunch of albums to compare this to, but I don’t have any of that music so we’ll treat it like a stand alone. “Beyond” by Dinosaur Jr. is spectacular. The guitar work and the vocals are the thing that you notice first on this album. I’m finding out what others have known for years; J Macsis rocks. His voice is whiny but thoroughly enjoyable and has obviously been copied by countless vocalists. And as for his guitar work, the guitar work on this album is brilliant, it’s the first thing you notice when listening to this album. Try as they might to recreate the alternative/indy scene of the 80’s/90’s (which Dinosaur Jr. is from) bands that come out of the UK every other week don’t even come close to touching these guys. The solo work and the guitar lines on this album are awesome. Think of Dinosaur Jr. as a band from the Pixies era of rock, but also think of them as a more classical version of that. Think the Pixies meet Steppenwolf and you’re close to how these guys sound. The songs on “Beyond” are generally really good. “Almost Ready” is an awesome song that has some of the best guitar work I’ve ever heard. Some other great tracks include “Pick Me Up”, “It’s Me”, and “Been There All the Time.” The only part where Dinosaur Jr. loses its power a little bit is with the slower songs. “Back to Your Heart” and “Lightning Bulb” are okay- they just don’t really hold up to the rest of the disc. If you’ve never heard of Dinosaur Jr. before, check this album out and get going. They’ve been around since 1987 in one form or another, and they 9 albums for you to listen through. “Beyond” is a great album from these guys and from what I’ve heard a return to form. Definitely check out this album, and if you like it dive back into their previous work.