The artist: Dinosaur Jr.

The album: Farm (Jagjaguwar)

The spin: When alternative rock trio Dinosaur Jr. reunited in 2005, they joined a rarified club that boasted such luminaries as Mission of Burma, Gang of Four and the Pixies. All were ‘80s rock iconoclasts who had languished on college radio and the wee hours of the morning on MTV in their heyday, only to return as musical deities.

Even more than their contemporaries, though, J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph bounced back with surprising strength on 2005’s Beyond, a textured, energetic rocker with surprising depth. That bravado is less evident on Farm, their ninth effort and the kind of album that might have charmed you in 1989 but fails to leave much of an impression today.

The album’s first half packs the requisite crushing guitar, high-end fuzz and distortion, with pleasant pop melody “I Want You To Know,” a perfect template for Farm’s low-key pleasures. But the album drags with a series of second-half ballads — at nearly 8 and 9 minutes, respectively, “Said The People” and “I Don’t Want To Go There” barely have enough meat for songs half as long. Only the bouncy, upbeat “See You” breaks the tedium. Farm is far from a misfire, but with its bog-standard alternative rock numbers it lacks the surprises that made Beyond such an unexpected gem.

The grade: C+

– Patrick Caldwell

Listen to “Over It”:

Over It – Dinosaur Jr.

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