For some people the name of Dinosaur Jr. rock god J Mascis will never be far away from a guitar amp or ten; an axe; and a slew of effects pedals. Yet Mascis’ first solo studio album proper, Several Shades Of Why is the exact opposite of those sorts of expectations. In fact, it’s actually closer to his 1996 LP, Martin + Me where he did acoustic re-workings of Dinosaur Jr. songs plus some covers with the help of his trusty acoustic guitar affectionately named Martin. And while Marty isn’t credited this time around, one of Mascis’ acoustic guitars is certainly having his voice heard and is again found front and centre stage.

Mascis may have cultivated an image as a skateboard-riding, slacker-muso but his body of work paints a very different story. He is prolific and versatile- whether he’s releasing grunge blueprints with Dinosaur Jr., classic rock with Sweet Apple or metal in Witch, to name a few. Let’s just say J was the kinda bloke that was wearing multiple hats long before Messers Dave Grohl and Jack White discovered and made ‘em fashionable. It’s funny that Mascis would describe Dinosaur Jr. as being “ear-bleeding country” – and whether that is an apt description is a debate for another day – but here he is certainly embracing the latter genre with a dash of folk added for good measure.

The ten songs are a thoughtful and quiet affair and not simply ten Dinosaur Jr.-esque songs turned down low or unplugged. Rather, they’re introspective and as soft as angel hair, swirling in layers of golden light with plenty of nuances and subtleties. J was always a musician heavily influenced by Mr. Neil Young and you certainly can hear this in the simple yet effective, gentle hum of these acoustic ballads boasting ruminations about loss and feelings of adult angst.

Mascis’ lazy drawl and raspy voice are the record’s key focal point with acoustic guitars, the occasional string flourish and minimal percussion (with absolutely no drums) taking a backseat. There is some of the atmospheric guitar work synonymous with his “day job” (particularly in the song “What Happened”) but the whole effort is a much more mellow affair than the Dinosaur discography, with a lot less distortion and volume. The LP’s guests include: Kurt Vile, Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene), Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses), and Sophie Trudeau (Godspeed You Black Emperor!).

“Is It Done” combines an Eric Clapton-type vibe with a country twang while “Too Deep” is like a cross between José González’s work in Junip and Lo-Tel’s song, “Teenager Of The Year”. Basically, this album is one long confessional for Mascis as he revels in his quiet and dark side to produce tender moments of intense, stripped back folk music.

In short, this is a record for fans of Mascis’ songwriting that don’t mind a lighter touch to their sounds. And for those after proceedings by this talented frontman that pack a heavier punch, well they can just go back to the farm.

Review score: 8.5/10