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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Farm
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 26 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 23 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Jagjaguwar
Release Date: 23 June 2009
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rock, Alternative
Summary
The second album for the alt-rock band since it reunited in 2005 is its first on the Jagjaguwar label.
Also By This Artist: Beyond
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Delusions of Adequacy
This is one mighty album, one that will tower over others like the green shrubs that tower over the buildings on the cover.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
As catchy and well-crafted as these songs are, they never feel restricted or overly polished. Each track is given room to grow, stretching into extended intros, impulsive solos, and oft-repeated verses.
Read Full Review >Sputnikmusic
Even though Farm may be the album we (should have) expected from Dinosaur Jr., it is still an excellent record that offers a variety of different qualities, while remaining as much fun to listen to as they have ever been.
Read Full Review >Drowned In Sound
So, finally, to Farm, which every bit the equal of "Beyond;" maybe even better.
Read Full Review >Mojo
With standards so consistently high, picking further peaks is a tough call but the surging wah squel of 'Over It' and 'I Don't Wanna Go There's' stellar guitar squall also score way up at the top of the scale. [Jul 2009, p.105]
Uncut
The solos are majestic and Barlow even contributes a couple of thumpers. Nobody does this better.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
This is a sound that's utterly unique to Dinosaur Jr., and what's different about them in their reunion is that the group not only realizes their individuality, they revel in it, getting lost in the noise, and it's hard not to get swept up with it, too.
Read Full Review >No Ripcord
Farm succeeds just where Beyond did, by being an absolutely awesome record. If there’s one thing that can be taken away from it, it’s that we can all relax now and let Dinosaur Jr. do their thing.
Read Full Review >cokemachineglow
They’ve yet to lose it: Farm comes in a bit longer and countrified than its predecessor, but it’s also a more muscular and emotional album.
Read Full Review >The Phoenix
Mascis's unique talents have ossified into a signature, so discerning any difference between this set of tunes and, say, his solo albums of the early oughts or latter-day Dinosaur Jr. albums is tough work. If, to you, that means more awesome Mascis crunchwork, then be psyched, because this record slays, the rocking is sloppy-yet-tight, and nothing on here would sound like a drag if tossed into a setlist amongst older classics.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
Frontman J Mascis is more than capable of stirring up a whirlwind of melodic feedback, suitable for heshers of any age.
Read Full Review >Spin
Apparently, you can go home again, and it's still plenty loud and comfortable.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
Although Farm sacrifices some immediacy and fire for expansive emotionalism and nuance, the album is a solid addition to the Dinosaur Jr. catalog and one whose highlights may prove even better with time.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
Dinosaur Jr. set the standard for convulsive indie-rock guitar fireworks in the Eighties. Incredibly, the band's original lineup--guitarist J Mascis, bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph--hasn't lost a thunderous step.
Read Full Review >Under The Radar
Farm, the band's second album since returning, may just be enough to prove naysayers and skeptics wrong. [Summer 2009, p.65]
New Musical Express
There’s also no denying the power of their bittersweet, socially inept aggression, and the ferocity of their sound on Farm. But, as truly gifted as Mascis is on the guitar and as surly as Barlow is vocally, this is merely Dinosaur fossilised, leaving you hankering for something a little more daring.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle
The last half of Farm starts suffering from verse repetition, slower songs never matching the ballast of 'Ocean in the Way.' Farm does reach beyond 2007's "Beyond."
Read Full Review >Observer Music Monthly
Continues where 2007's sprightly comeback album "Beyond" left off.
Read Full Review >The Guardian
It's good to have the definitive lineup back together--and there are thrills galore on Farm--but one can't help wondering if compromise has weakened the group.
Read Full Review >Tiny Mix Tapes
It sounds dismissive to say that Farm is, undeniably, nothing more than another Dinosaur Jr. record. Yet it is, and if that assertion carries with any ideas of complacency or stock “rock action,” it should also denote the superb craftsmenship inherent in Mascis, Barlow, and Murph’s work.
Read Full Review >musicOMH.com
As long as you don't mind working for your alt rock fixes, however, Farm is certainly worth the effort.
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
Farm isn't the kind of Dino record that has a keeper single like 'Start Choppin'' or 'Feel The Pain.' Instead, it boasts some of Mascis' biggest departures under the Dino name. [Aug 2009, p.110]
Q Magazine
Here Mascis's guitar playing remains as distorted--and dextrous--as ever, but here his songcraft burns as brightly as his fretwork. [Jul 2009, p.121]
Paste Magazine
At times, Mascis and Co. sound perfectly at home amidst a wall of distortion (see the bouncy, hook-driven 'I Want You to Know'). But for the most part, they sound exhausted.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 23 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
tom b gave it a10:
Have you ever noticed that Tiny Mix Tapes hates everything. This record is a f*cking triumph.
Jorge D gave it a10:
Simply magical album. All the boys bands out there look flaccid against these forty somethings.
M S gave it an8:
A great album. Is it 1991 again?
Brando Commando gave it a10:
Unbelievable album. Dinosaur Jr. is so under appreciated.
Papa Box gave it a9:
It's amazing that a band can make a record this good this late in their career (especially after a 19 year hiatus). While it while obviously not have the influence of their late-80s heyday records, I believe this is their best, most consistent, record.
Sam W. gave it a10:
Incredible album...from a long-time dino fan. Among their incredible volume of work (including every dino album), this one could potentially be top of them all.
Eric C. gave it a9:
I've never been much of a Dinosaur Jr. fan, and I'm definately not a fan of 90% of the "noise pop" scene they helped spawn, but I picked this up anyway and I love being made a fool of in these situations. Farm is unstoppably catchy while never letting up on its sonic assault. This is the rock album I've been waiting all year for. Unpretentious, enjoyable, and musically powerful. May not be a classic like Bug or You're Living All Over Me, but it comes closer than I ever would have thought it could.
