Dinosaur Jr. isn’t throwing any curveballs this late in the game. So
you pretty much know what to expect on its second album since 2005’s
comeback and the fifth by the original trio of guitarist J. Mascis,
bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph: hooky songs that split the
difference between indie and classic rock, the loudest wall of sound
ever constructed by just three guys, and plenty of amp-rattling and
ear-shattering solos. Like 2007’s Beyond, Farm sounds very late
’80s, right down to a couple of duds. It’s also way better than most
reunion albums. Mascis marble-mouths his way through some killer songs
here — “Pieces,” “I Want You to Know” and “Over It,” especially
— firing off one blistering solo after another. The one-two punch
of Beyond and Farm manages to do something Dino Jr.
barely accomplished the first time around: two good albums in a row.
— Michael Gallucci
This article appears in Jun 24-30, 2009.