When PIXIES surprised the music world by reforming twenty years ago, there followed a glut of beloved cult artists and indie heroes reforming for a second shot at glory. For many, this simply meant playing the hits or celebrating specific albums. Many others released new material that sadly contained little of the spark or originality of their earlier days. Dinosaur Jr.’s original line-up, no strangers to acrimonious band relations themselves, buried the hatchet in 2005 and returned with 2007’s ‘Beyond’. It was an album that showed that the trio hadn’t lost any of their power and began a run of albums that matched the quality of their classic LPs.
Firmly back in the saddle, 2009’s following ‘Farm’ contains some of the band’s most beloved tracks from the past two decades. There’s opener ‘Pieces,’ a forlorn but earth-quaking rocker that genuinely captures the band’s ethos of making ‘ear-bleeding rock ‘n’ roll.’ ‘Plans,’ a passionate and less incendiary number that sees frontman J Mascis convey some middle-aged longing over zippy lead lines. Being a Dino song, you naturally get a face-melting 90-second outro solo. ‘Over It’ sees the band harness some of the proto-grungy energy of their ‘You’re Living All Over Me’ period, Murph’s drums sounding as if they’re about to burst through your speakers.
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A real gem and a personal favourite of this writer is ‘See You.’ The jauntiest moment on the album, the track reveals the band’s mastery of melody and rhythm. The song’s airy structure shows detractors that underneath the mountains of fuzz is a lovesick pop band. Back to front, ‘Farm’ is simply an excellent album, and for many, including Mascis himself, it ranks as their most realised reunion album. It’s over an hour of mega-amplified hooks and guitar wizardry for those who like their tunes to melt their face.
Now, being a reissue means we get the obligatory bonus tracks, with the powers that be going for the less is more approach. Four extras are on vinyl for the first time, beginning with a first-rate cover of cult folk figure Elyse Weinberg’s ‘Houses.’ She was part of the Toronto scene alongside the likes of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, and the track’s foot-tapping rhythms go perfectly with Mascis’ vocal murmured vocal delivery. The Zombies’ ‘Whenever You’re Ready’ gets a dirgy garage rock reworking, with bassist Lou Barlow providing a rare backing vocal. Less impressive is the plain bonkers ‘Show,’ which is one minute of art-punk madness that, while showcasing a side of Dinosaur Jr. we’ve never seen, should have just been left locked in the vault.
Likely, many alt-rock fans may already own ‘Farm’, but if not, there’s no better time to grab a limited edition lime-colored vinyl and try and give yourself tinnitus. It’s a glorious racket and one of Dinosaur Jr.’s finest moments.
8/10
Words: Sam Walker-Smart
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