Dinosaur Jr are an object lesson in how to mount a successful alt.rock comeback: simply pretend the previous 15 years never happened. Who’d have thought J Mascis would ever be reconciled with the jilted bassist who called him a “prime, stinking red asshole” and the drummer who railed against his “Nazi”-esque control-freakery? But here they are – Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph – two albums into their unlikely comeback, distilling the essence of everything that makes Dinosaur Jr great.
Despite the supremely stoned cover cartoon, Farm veers more towards powerpop than sludge. “Friends” is a hunk of early Replacements roughage while “Over It” is The Knack tackling “Freak Scene”. Elsewhere, there’s desert rock desolation on “Said The People” while the epic bittersweetness of their commercial zenith Where You Been is gloriously recaptured on “Plans” and “See You”. The solos are majestic and Barlow even contributes a couple of thumpers. Nobody does this better.
SAM RICHARDS
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Picture credit: A Kendall