What Do We Do Now is the fourth solo studio album by Dinosaur Jr. frontman J Mascis, released through Sub Pop on February 2, 2024. It received acclaim from critics.

What Do We Do Now
An animated scene of two otters floating underwater, with a person wearing a helmet in the bottom left corner looking on
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 2, 2024 (2024-02-02)
Length44:35
LabelSub Pop
ProducerJ Mascis
J Mascis chronology
Elastic Days
(2018)
What Do We Do Now
(2024)

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic74/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [2]
The Line of Best Fit6/10[3]
Pitchfork6.4/10[4]
Mojo     [5]
Uncut8/10[6]

What Do We Do Now received a score of 74 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 15 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[1] Mojo called it "an LP of insight and empathy",[5] while Uncut felt that "the result is Mascis's most fully formed and direct solo set to date".[6] Fred Thomas of AllMusic called it "a little different" from Mascis's output with Dinosaur Jr., as "here the drums are blasting away at full force, the tempos are lively, and heavily distorted guitar solos beam in from outer space in a way Mascis has made his own since the days of Bug".[2]

The Quietus' Robert Barry remarked that while the "kind of wild scree that once characterised Dinosaur Jr records is largely gone now", he still found the album to be "a record of beautifully put-together songs played on an acoustic guitar then beefed up by a band".[7] Greg Hyde of The Line of Best Fit wrote that What Do We Do Now "has some interesting moments on its first side, but quite a bit of it does feel leaden and lacking in energy".[3]

Evan Rytlewski of Pitchfork stated that if the album is "less satisfying than Mascis' previous solo releases, it's because it has less to reveal. Mascis has written so many songs about the same needs and frustrations—his failures to communicate, to be understood, and ultimately accepted—that they can't help but bleed together".[4]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by J Mascis

What Do We Do Now track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Can't Believe We're Here"3:58
2."What Do We Do Now"5:00
3."Right Behind You"4:20
4."You Don't Understand Me"3:50
5."I Can't Find You"4:24
6."Old Friends"4:13
7."It's True"5:16
8."Set Me Down"3:53
9."Hangin Out"4:53
10."End Is Gettin Shaky"4:48
Total length:44:35

Personnel

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Musicians

Production

Creative

Charts

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Chart performance for What Do We Do Now
Chart (2024) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[8] 37
Scottish Albums (OCC)[9] 6
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[10] 31
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[11] 6

References

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  1. ^ a b "What Do We Do Now by J Mascis Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Thomas, Fred. "J Mascis – What Do We Do Now Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Hyde, Greg (January 30, 2024). "J Mascis: What Do We Do Now Review – enjoyable if stunted". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Rytlewski, Evan (February 1, 2024). "J Mascis: What Do We Do Now Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "J Mascis – What Do We Do Now". Mojo. March 2024. p. 82.
  6. ^ a b "J Mascis – What Do We Do Now". Uncut. February 2024. p. 31.
  7. ^ Barry, Robert (January 29, 2024). "J Mascis: What Do We Do Now". The Quietus. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  8. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – J Mascis – What Do We Do Now" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  9. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  10. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  11. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 10, 2024.