J Mascis - What Do We Do Now (Colored Vinyl, Clear Vinyl, Purple)

What Do We Do Now is the fifth solo studio LP recorded by J Mascis since 1996. Using his own Bisquiteen Studio in the waning days of the pandemic, J started working on writing a series of tunes on acoustic with a different dynamic than the stuff he creates for Dino. "When I'm writing for the band," he says, "I'm always trying to think of doing things Lou and Murph would fit into. Usually, I try to do the solo stuff more simply so I can play it by myself, but I really wanted to add the drums. Once that started, everything else just fell into place. So it ended up sounding a lot more like a band record." Western Mass local Ken Mauri (of the B52s) plays piano on several tracks, while Toronto musician Matthew "Doc" Dunn's steel guitar manages to both widen and soften the musical edges of the music, giving it a full classicist profile. What Do We Do Now is the finest set of solo tunes J has yet penned, and the way they're presented is just about perfect.