Who'd Have Bet the Farm?
Has there been a better rock'n'roll comeback than the return of the original Dinosaur? Eight years after retiring the Dinosaur Jr name in 1997, fretboard-ripping frontman J Mascis got the old band back together: bringing in the original members, drummer Murph and bassist Lou Barlow. They hadn't played together since 1989. That was when Barlow was controversially kicked out of Dinosaur Jr, an event which became an ongoing soap-opera thanks to Barlow's bile-filled Sebadoh songs directed back at Mascis.
This meant that the 2005 was in itself unexpected. But, even then, no one could've expected it would lead to Dinosaur Jr returning to such form as Farm. The alt-rock trio's ninth album is their best since 1993's great Where You Been, an amazing set that finds their trademarked 'ear-bleeding country' sound sounding, in some ways, better than ever.
Dinosaur Jr's second, post-comeback album —following 2007's Beyond— contains some of Mascis's sweetest, most melodic compositions; some of, to be honest, his best-ever songs. Whilst the comeback reunited the members who made incredibly loud, distortion-saturated works like 1987's classic You're Living All Over Me, here they use volume in more judicious ways. And, notably, the loudest numbers —like the three-minute, fuzzed out "Your Weather"— are Barlow cuts.
Evergreen Mind
When Mascis truly shines —and when Farm is at its best— is when things stretch out, both in terms of running time and volume. The nearly-eight-minute "Said the People" is a stunning piece of languid psychedelia, unspooling in multiple Mascis solos and his surprisingly heartfelt croons of "save me."
"See You" finds his cracked, Neil Young-ish tenor at its most effecting; croaking "Do you know what this all means to me?/The intention's hard to know" amidst some particularly plaintive, nimble-fingered guitar playing. And "Plans" is grand; Mascis's chiming playing rolling out over a something rather resembling a seven-minute pop-song.
Farm finds the trio marshaling the power of their early LPs, recording with the clean production of the 'major label years,' and functioning with the emotional self-awareness that comes with middle-age. It's a really, really good record, on all levels. You get the feeling that, in years to come, it will be presented as evidence anytime anyone is questioning the artistic validity of rock reformations. 25 years into their career, after break-ups, retirements, and reunions, Dinosaur Jr have made one of their best-ever albums.
Record Label: Jagjaguwar
Release Date: 23 June 2009
