Dinosaur Jr. Album: “Farm [Deluxe]”

Reunions are a tricky thing. After enough years apart, the question always is whether the spark that once seemed to exist between a particular set of musicians can be revived. Often times, the results can be a little flat or tepid. However, when the original lineup of Dino Jr. came together after nearly 20 years (Barlow was kicked out of the band in the late 80s) to create Beyond (2007), they seemed to pick up right where they had left off. This follow-up proves that this was no accident, and it's great to see this group continuing to work together.

Dino Jr., for those of you who may be new to the band, is a group of dudes from Massachusetts who got their start in the mid 80s and have been seen by some critics as the could-have-been-Nirvana (Curt Cobain was a fan, and was very influenced by the band's sound). However their sound was always a bit too oddball to make it in the commercial mainstream despite a substantial cult following. The band continued making records after founding member Lou Barlow was kicked out in about 1988 (he went on to form the indie godfathers Sebadoh, which was one of my favorite bands when I was in high school), and even enjoyed some commercial success. However, by this point Dino Jr. was pretty much a J Mascis project. Throughout the band's history, the music was characterized by its guitar-centric loudness combined with an increasing sense of melody as time passed.

The original lineup's reunion in 2007 was impressive. The band turned in a truly stunning set of songs, which set the blazing guitars against strong hooks and a high level of energy. This new album follows in the same vein, with hooky material drowned in a sea of delicious guitar fuzz. If anything, the guitar takes an even more prominent role in some of these tracks, giving the music an almost jammy feel. It's loose and spontaneous sounding, and must have been a lot of fun to record. While the songs are perhaps not quite at the same level as those on Beyond, they're very similar in texture and approach. I just got this disc so I'm not sure which songs will be the standouts yet. However, there isn't a bad one in the pack.

Highly recommended for guitar-rock fans, people who like high-energy alt rock, and really anyone with an open mind. Great for driving too.

Great album, but somebody should mention that this CD was mastered TOO FREAKING LOUD. The mix is fuzzy-on-purpose (OK!) but the volume adds a layer of constant distortion. "Beyond" had the same problem - unintentional blur, a gauzy roar between me and the music. But hey, ruinous uber-mastering is the industry standard. Who even notices anymore? I remember a time when CDs weren't designed to blow your head off and consumers could be trusted with a volume knob.

(This review is on the vinyl sound quality -- the music itself gets a solid five stars from me as well, regardless of the medium).

I've had the CD for some time, and although I've enjoyed it, it was definitely too LOUD (if you know anything about the loudness wars, you know what I mean). Granted, this is a Dinosuar Jr. album so you expect distortion, but a brickwalled CD is just noise and not much else.

The vinyl doesn't seem to be as badly affected, I'm happy to report (purchased it at their last East Coast tour). Distorted as expected, but not as ear fatiguing as the CD imo. A dynamic range check between the two seems to confirm that -- the CD comes in at a "6" (which is bad) but the vinyl comes in at "11" (which is much better).

So, if you have a decent turntable I would recommend the vinyl over the CD.

Wow! When the original Dino Jr. trio got back together, no one expected 2007's 'Beyond' to be as great as it was. That record pales in comparison to this one though, 'Farm' is simply brilliant from beginning to end. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this album, every track is brilliant, the playing is great, J's solos are incredible, Lou's two tracks are among his best. If you are a Dino fan, this is essential!

It's a good listen. I'm not a long-time fan or devotee - just heard a couple of tracks on Pitchfork for the first time and ordered this new release. Great guitar work, nice power trio sound - and catchy tunes. Nice tight production and certainly studio polish. Could've used a stronger producer's hand to shorten some of the final tracks, but the bonus CD is a treat.