A few months ago, I realized that I had somehow never intentionally listened to indie rock legends Dinosaur Jr.

I was familiar with their legacy, of course. I had heard the name thrown around by most of my favorite bands as an influence. I knew J. Mascis’ reputation as a guitar icon. But I never spent any time with them myself.

That revelation was the impetus to a deep dive into their discography, and a purchase of their classic second album, You’re Living All Over Me. And now, the Dinosaur Jr. section of my record collection grows with the addition of their third, Bug.

While Bug might not have been the cultural revelation that You’re Living All Over Me was, it’s maybe more enjoyable. Living is an undisputed classic, but it sometimes lost itself to its more chaotic elements (see: the chopped-tape closer “Poledo”).

Bug on the other hand is a pop record through and through. There’s plenty of guitar noise freak outs, but Mascis’ songwriting is much more straightforward. Opener “Freak Scene” is perhaps the definitive Dinosaur Jr. song, with a jangling guitar progression that explodes into a fuzz pedal fury. “No Bones” could have been a beautiful ballad, were it not for Mascis’ charmingly clumsy voice and his arsenal of distortion pedals. “Pond Song” could have been written by Willie Nelson, save for the crunchy riff in the chorus.

That pop sensibility doesn’t mean this record is toothless though. There are still plenty of hefty tracks. “The Post” pairs a slow tempo and relaxed melody with some menacingly heavy guitar work. “Yeah We Know” alternates between muscular riffage and a laid-back-but-noisy chorus. Album closer “Don’t” is led by bassist Lou Barlow’s screamed vocals while Mascis conjures aural monsters from his guitar rig.

And again, like You’re Living All Over Me, nothing about Bug sounds particularly revolutionary nowadays. After all, the record turns thirty in just a couple weeks. But that’s just further proof of how much impact Dinosaur Jr. has had on the landscape of indie rock and alternative. And even though J. Mascis might disagree (it’s his least favorite album), there’s a good reason that when I asked my friends for recommendations, this was the album that came up most often.