Dinosaur Jr. – “Hold Unknown”

Dinosaur Jr. – “Hold Unknown”

Ever since reforming back in the mid-’00s, Dinosaur Jr. have provided one of the great counter-examples to an all-too-common rock history truth. Reunions, generally speaking, are all about diminishing returns. The youthful fire’s gone, they’re in it for the money, it’s a brief retread of the classics before another inevitably dissolution, it only takes a couple of years and everyone hates each other again. That’s not how Dinosaur Jr.’s latest act has gone.

Instead, the veteran Massachusetts indie heroes have been steadily churning out new albums that can easily rival their ’80s landmarks, starting with the excellent 2007 comeback Beyond and most recently continuing with 2016’s Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not. Since then, things have been a little quiet on the Dinosaur Jr. front — aside from J Mascis chatting about Adele with Marc Maron last year, that is. But today, the trio is finally back with a new song.

Entitled “Hold Unknown,” the track is a brisk piece of comfort food for longtime Dinosaur Jr. fans. All the classic elements are in play — Mascis’ lackadaisical but endearing vocals, gloriously fuzzed-out guitars, and a controlled burst of punk energy underpinning a series of memorable hooks. It’s the group’s contribution to the Adult Swim Singles Program so, sadly, it may not be a harbinger that a new Dinosaur Jr. is on the horizon just yet. But while we hold out hope in the meantime, a new Dinosaur Jr. track is still a welcome surprise. Check it out below.

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