Tied to a Star

This follow-up is a micro-tad more optimistic [than 2011's Several Shades Of Why]. [13 Sep 2014, p.54]

Mascis doesn’t just go unplugged here; he pulls back the curtain to reveal a troubadour at his most vulnerable.

This album’s most striking moments often come when Mascis commits unreservedly to the ballads.

This is a charming side-step from a significant latterday voice of America. [Sep 2014, p.110]

It’s a calm, beautiful oasis in Mascis’ coruscating career path, prettier even, because of the carnage before and after.

It makes for a more organically toned collection that proves the grey wizard doesn’t need heavy distortion to stay at the top of his game.

Subtle and understated, yet brimming with raw passion, this is songwriting at its cathartic, confessional best.

J. Mascis is developing a distinct persona for his solo work, and so far it dovetails nicely with his other projects, sharing certain virtues while having a mind of its own, and Tied to a Star is another step in an unexpected and quite welcome career evolution.

There’s more than sentimentality to these songs; they resonate at a more fundamental level.

J's mature-era peak continues. [Sep 2014, p.90]

No, the record doesn’t represent a quantum leap in progression between 2011 and today. Yes, it’s another lovely listen.

It's relaxed, and effective at that. [Sep 2014, p.92]

Mascis’s nimble fingerwork really is something to behold; alone it could sustain a set of solid, low-stakes lullabies. But the shrewd deployment of full band momentum, usually around each track’s halfway point, lends dimensionality to Tied to a Star that transcends its humble tenor.

With the exception of the decibel levels, none of these songs find Mascis seeking to reinvent his own trusty wheels. He's always stayed true to that simple art of songcraft, his homespun guitar heroics, and letting his tunes do the talking.

If we were picking holes here, you might gently suggest Tied To A Star is not altogether captivating, but for serious fans of J Mascis' acoustic incline--it does deliver. His lack of clear narrative, comically dull song titles like 'And Then', 'Drifter', 'Heal The Star' and 'Come Down', still leaves J Mascis as something of a stranger to us.

J Mascis' mostly acoustic new album has all the hallmarks we've come to expect from grown-up indie rockers making solo move.

Though slightly dragging and formulaic at times, the melodies and arrangements are strong and memorable, stacking up against Mascis' previous solo releases. [Sep 2014, p.107]

For those [who have cottoned to Mascis' nasal falsetto and six-string wizardly], this is another lovely acoustic outing from a beloved artists. For the rest, move along, there's nothing to see here. [No. 112, p.59]

His latest mixes John Fahey-like acoustic work with occasional brief bouts of his familiar electric shredding. [Sep 2014, p.75]

Akin to Doug Martsch's 2002 solo debut, Mascis' side work remains foreign in its acoustic aesthetic, but like the Built to Spill frontman's Now You Know, celebrates its songwriter's new stylistic terrain.

The worthiest points of interest on Tied to a Star, therefore, are tied to individual moments.