Description
2024 reissue, 2×12″ LP, Jagjaguwar. Black vinyl.
American rock legends Dinosaur Jr’s history is nothing if not awkwardly tumultuous. By the time the band had reached Farm, their ninth album, the original line up had already parted ways, said some unpleasant stuff about each other, gone their own ways, and eventually reunited. Unlike most reunions the coming together of the band’s original line up (J Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph) was more than just a cash grab. The band clearly had more to say and do. Having already released the reunion debut Beyond on Fat Possum Records, the band moved to Jagjaguwar for their follow up, Farm. Beyond felt a little like a band tentatively getting used to each other again and was a little more restrained that had been hoped. Farm on the other hand showcases Dinosaur Jr’s ability to make gorgeous, but chaotically noisy songs. Lou Barlow’s filthy bass tone is back in the mix (check out ‘Your Weather’ for example) and J’s guitar tone is far more serrated and angry, just as it had been on the band’s first few releases. Farm’s greatest trick is to combine J’s eternal slacker characteristics with an energy that positively bubbles over throughout the album. It’s something that only seems to happen when the original trio are together, and there’s evidence of this strange chemistry throughout Farm. Whether it’s the beautiful sprawling jam of ‘I Don’t Wanna Go There’ or introspection of ‘Over It’ which is off-set by Murph’s thundering drums and a chorus that functions as an instant anti-depressant. Even when they slow down things for ‘Said The People’ which documents a detached inner monologue that finds Mascis begging to be saved, the band head off into a sprawling, passionate epilogue that raises the spirits. This anniversary edition features four songs that have not appeared on vinyl before, among them a brilliant take on The Zombies’ ‘Whenever You’re Ready’, but the real gold is in the original album itself.
