J Mascis fired longtime drummer Murph before the recording of Without a Sound, which came as a surprise to Murph. Naturally, the change in personnel hasnt changed Dinosaur Jr.s sound much; the only difference between Without a Sound and Where You Been is a more pronounced country leaning (particularly on the albums high point, the rollicking I Dont Think So) and shorter, more concise performances. What hasnt changed are the overpowering fuzz tones of Mascis guitar, which tend to hide his more expressive vocals; it also makes digging out the gems on this album a little more difficult than necessary. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Rovi