Lou Barlow

As things have come full circle for Lou Barlow in recent years, it's fitting that Goodnight Unknown is an alluring pastiche of all the sonic styles he's heralded over the past 20 years. In revisiting his integral roles in influential underground rock bands Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh, Barlow has undoubtedly gained perspective on the scrappy, distorted abrasiveness he's helped propel into the common consciousness as a bonafide lo-fi guru. So the news that he'd hooked up with Godsmack producer Mudrock and brought Melvins drummer Dale Crover in on some new songs certainly raised eyebrows. What kind of record was Barlow making? As it stands, Goodnight Unknown is one of the most compelling and refined records in Barlow's remarkable discography. Certainly charged up on "Sharing" and the infectious "Gravitate," it's still composed, with a dreamy, folk sensitivity and a stark emotional core that will please and surprise fans.