Obviously the aforementioned web sheriff of the pitchfork preview had to give and eventually and a few unrestrained fans on the brink of explosion were going to reap the benefits of it; I was one of them. On first spin it was clear this would have been more than worth the wait and naturally the guilt took over and now its pre-ordered with the wait for holding the package no way near as intense but the excitement just as real.
This is because from the word go the album is amazing, feeling initially a lot more accessible than Beyond, though this may be because the latter feels like a really good stepping stone to this one. There aren't really any filler tracks at all, with every contribution feeling as solid as the next. To some extent though it is difficult to find a stand out track, with 'I don't wanna go there' or 'over it' probably claiming the spot overall. The best moments are the solos in 'Ocean in the way' and 'Said the People'... Oh you just wait!
'Plans' feels like a continuation of songs in the same vein as 'Crumble' with the same eerily watery melodic feel with the divine simplicity of the repeated "I got nothing left to be, do you have some plans for me?" summing up the beautiful melancholy of the opening riff. 'Friends' would feel at home on 'More Light' and that proves Lou Barlow's bass would have made that album even better. I should say, you can hear the bass as well! It felt a bit overpowered by the guitar last time round whereas Farm feels a lot more balanced. Lou's tracks are a very welcome turn from J's style but suprisingly don't add as much to the album as they did on the previous one. This being said, 'Your weather' has a really solid chorus that carries the song to another level only to be anchored by another perfect J mascis solo.
It's difficult not to review this from the angle of drawing comparisons to beyond, but the same goes for enjoying it. Its a step up where one didn't feel possible. Beyond felt like the last Rocky film, you felt like they'd done well and the best they could with it, though it obviously wasn't a Rocky II or a You're Living All Over Me... for want of a better analogy anyways... Really this album just solidifies the notion that is was worth while for Dinosaur to get back together - they've done what most reunited bands couldn't; they've remained creative, impressive and a thrill to listen to.
Buy this album. See them live. Ride the wave of a successful reunion thats just as alive as the day it began.