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It was time for J. Mascis to move on from his Dinosaur Jr. days. He may never leave the comfortable environs of his home studio in Amherst, Massachusetts, but at least he can import folks likeMy Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields to add sonic deviation. He'll always sing in that anguished whine that suggests someone is twisting his arm behind his back (or sometimes he'll sound surprisingly likeAlice Cooper). As long as he keeps the guitars choogling with his trademark hyperdistorted tone, he'll be OK. "Same Day" employs this strategy with the expected results. "Where'd You Go" and "Back Before You Go" have a Southern rock vibe running through them. Even more revealing, however, are the moodier pieces in which the arrangements head into psychedelic territory ("Waistin," "Ground Me to You") with swirling keyboards and subtler guitar moves. An old dog may not learn new tricks, but he can add some nice twists to the old ones.--Rob O'Connor