Dinosaur Jr. - Farm Review

Posted by Aaron Mayagoitia on 06.26.2009

After delivering the goods with their ’07 reunion album Beyond, original members J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph have returned with yet another album. Does the band still have what it took to make Beyond such an excellent album or did they lose it along the way? Read the review if you want to know where the band stands with Farm, their fifth album.



I know what you’re thinking…

No, I didn’t screw up by saying that this is the band’s fifth album. Green Mind, Where You Been, Without a Sound and Hand It Over aren’t real Dinosaur Jr. albums. Sure, the band’s mastermind (J Mascis) was involved in all of them, but these albums can’t hold a candle to the beautiful noise found in Dinosaur, You’re Living All Over Me, Bug and Beyond. Incredible as it may seem, bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph are what makes Dinosaur Jr. sound like Dinosaur Jr. and not like a J Mascis band. Beyond proved this in ’07 with a display of sheer brilliance that didn’t even begin to show in the Mascis-only Dinosaur Jr. albums. Now, more than fifteen years after the original lineup broke in ’89, they refuse to conform to coming back with a successful bang and they have decided to keep on exploiting the creative spark that only ignites when they’re together. The end result is Farm, an album that amazes not only because of its superb content, but because of how the band’s displayed confidence with what they do, and how they do it, is intact and developing. One can only think that better things are just around the corner, and such things are what sonic dreams are made of.

If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.

Farm has all the trademarks you’d expect from a Dinosaur Jr. album: tangy, spine-tingling guitar solos, riffs that can level concrete bunkers, J Mascis’ captivating lyrics through his droning voice, Lou Barlow’s slinky bass lines and augmenting backup vocals, and Murph’s punk-rooted, bare-bones drumming. All these elements come together tighter than they have ever been and the final album mix gives it all a thick, meaty consistency that could stop a cannon ball, whereas Beyond sounded a bit thin and scattered at times. Also, Barlow contributes two excellent songs just like in Beyond, which give the album a band-effort gloss and the healthy change in pace and mood that keeps the album from sounding constipated.

This one’s a grower.

You may not get completely into Farm with the first listen. This has to do with the album relying mostly on mid-paced tracks which, if listened to continuously, won’t distinguish themselves from the others until you pay close attention. This may be Farm’s only flaw. Beyond was a chaser of an album, it had your constant attention because of the constant changes in length, pace and inflection. Also, Beyond had an acoustic track which added depth and Farm is entirely electric. Beyond is the type of album you listen to from start to finish and Farm is the type of album that has songs that stand on their own. So, if you’re patient, you may even realize that Farm bears more rewards than Beyond.

The good, the bad and the highlights:

The good is that there’s plenty of J Mascis’ brilliant guitar-playing throughout the album, both in riff and solo form; there are no weak tracks on the album and they range from steady and hasty rockers to moody excursions; the lyrics are solid; the energy level put into the album is constant and unrelenting; and the mix favors the music with a thick, fuzzy thump.

The bad is that more of a bit of variety would’ve helped the album not be sluggish at times. Like I mentioned before, there are no weak songs and they easily stand on their own, but listening to the whole album in one sitting can bring the occasional yawn. Some songs last a bit longer than they should and this also contributes to Farm’s few dragging moments.

The highlights are:

“Pieces”

The track opens the album with a bang and boasts an exciting guitar solo.

“I Want You to Know”

A bouncy rocker oozing with melody that also yields a sweet guitar solo.

“Over It”

The album’s first single is the most sped up song on the album.

“See You”

A breezy song that begins with a guitar solo that’ll make you scream.

"I Don’t Wanna Go There”

The longest song on the album (8.43) is also where J makes his most powerful display of instrumental expression.

“Imagination Blind”

The better of the two Barlow tunes on the album. Lou’s soothing voice and thoughtful lyrics make it a highlight.

Eye candy.

Here’s the official video for “Over It”, the first single off Farm.




It’s all good.

Well, not exactly. Even though Farm is a very strong album, it has its flaws. Those flaws aren’t enough to not compete with the initial trilogy of Dinosaur Jr. albums however. But what Farm brings, besides awesome music, is signs of the beginning of a new life for the band. All those who thought that Beyond was the last album the band had to offer but was delayed because of their breakup now have to acknowledge that they never really broke up, they just took some time off and came back when the time was right, and their timing has been flawless. Farm is a testament to that.

The 411: Buy this album now. If you’re a fan of Dinosaur Jr., you probably have it already and are enjoying it to the fullest. If you’re only beginning to get into the band’s music, this album won’t disappoint you if you’re looking for heavy, melodic rock that’ll give you goose bumps. Nothing else on Earth sounds like this.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]