Relatively cleaner-produced and more accessible than
You're Living All Over Me,
Bug expanded on the strengths of its predecessor, and established
Dinosaur Jr. as a major band in the American underground. Although the majority of the album is firmly situated in the sprawling, noisy metallic fusion of hard rock and avant noise,
Bug also demonstrates that
J Mascis has a talent for winding folk-rock, particularly on "The Post" and "Pond Song." Like its predecessor, the songs on
Bug are quite uneven, but it does represent a major step forward for
Mascis, particularly on the masterpiece of the record, "Freak Scene," a surprisingly catchy song encapsulating the appeal and pitfalls of indie rock within three minutes.