Dinosaur Jr.: Farm

Label: Jagjaguwar

It is very rare that a band returns from a 16-year hiatus and makes as much of an impact as Dinosaur Jr. have since reforming. Granted, J Mascis never went anywhere in the interim, but truth be told Dinosaur Jr has always been J, Lou and Murph. Which brings us to Farm, their second album since reuniting and their best sounding record since the SST days. Mascis may be looking more and more like the white wizard from Lord of the Rings (fitting, considering the album cover depicts Ents) but Dinosaur’s sound remains youthful and vibrant, and Farm easily outshines the otherwise good Beyond. Dinosaur have only grown tighter over the years and the interplay between the three of them cannot be duplicated. As proved by the new single, “Over It,” the trio have not forgotten how to write catchy rock hooks; this album is full of them and with Farm, the band reaffirmed its continuing relevance. The crop was good this year. (Chris)