Review of Dinosaur Jr.'s Farm
Second record from the reunited Dinosaur Jr.
Their first post-reunion record, 2007’s Beyond, while a solid outing, sounded a bit as if the band were getting reacquainted with one another. Not surprising, since it’d been nearly 20 years since guitarist/singer J Mascis, bassist Lou Barlow, and drummer Murph recorded together (1988’s Bug). Farm, on the other hand, sounds more assured, cohesive, and ultimately, more satisfying.
Sound of Farm
The most striking aspect of Beyond was how little it sounded like the previous records of the original lineup. Instead of the noise-drenched attack of their first three records, Beyond seemed to pick up the late-grunge rock where Dinosaur Jr. left off before Mascis retired the name in the late 90’s. Farm continues the retro trend, as it sounds most like DJ’s best post-Barlow album, 1992’s near-breakthrough Where You Been, with it’s heavy riffs and Mascis’s soaring minor-key guitar solos.
And Mascis isn’t in the mood to hold back on Farm, with a couple songs (the plaintive “Said the People” and “I Don’t Wanna Go There”) logging in at over seven minutes. And yes, most of that time is guitar solos. But Mascis’ best asset is his skill at making lengthy solos seem like integral parts of the songs, almost like wordless verses.
In the hands of lesser men, they would easily wander into tediousness. For Mascis, they just seem natural. It’d feel weird if they weren’t there.
Songs on Farm
Mascis is still the driving force behind Dinosaur Jr., with ten of the twelve album tracks being Mascis-penned tunes. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of Dinosaur Jr.’s surviving this long is that Mascis’ voice finally matches the rest of his body.
Now in his mid-40’s, and with a thinning head of long white hair, he finally looks like the somewhat frail middle-aged man his voice always suggested. Yet Mascis appears happier than ever on Farm, with upbeat songs like “Over It” and “Friends” sounding downright optimistic. The melancholy is still there, however, on the album’s best track, “Plans,” where Mascis’ guitar sings a duet with his endearingly raspy whine.
Lou Barlow, who wasn’t exactly twiddling his thumbs between stints in Dinosaur Jr, (founding two bands, lo-fi pioneers Sebadoh and the Folk Implosion) contributes two tracks, “Your Weather” and “Imagination Blind.” Barlow’s songs don’t wander too far from the sounds of post-Dinosaur Jr. projects, though — not surprisingly— they're heavier, louder, and more bass-heavy.
Dinosaur Jr. spent most of the 90’s as the Next Big Thing, but never quite hit the big time. Farm, the ninth album under the Dinosaur Jr. banner, won’t change that, but for anyone who thought the 90’s were a great time for music, they’ll be happy that Dinosaur Jr. is still around and kicking.
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