When it comes to bands that influenced modern Shoegaze and post-Hardcore, Dinosaur Jr’s name needs to be more prominent in the conversation; granted, if you were judging it by the band’s more modern era, which is more organic and less depressive, it might not be as apparent. On There Near (Jagjaguwar). The overall sound of this album is consistent with what the band has been doing in their modern era, with less moody grunge noise and more upbeat jangling in the guitars. “No Friends” finds the jangle given more rock context. The vocals carry a hint of melancholy, and at times the riffing brings Neil Young to mind. With this album, there is an even warmer, more organic sound than most of their previous material.

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