Evan Dando - Baby Im Bored

  by Mark Rowland

published: 6 / 5 / 2003

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It's been 7 years since Evan Dando last produced a record, with his previous band the Lemonheads' 1996 swansong, 'Car Button Cloth'. The Lemonheads were always a severely underrated band often dismissed unfairly as grunge-pop, and their music tended to be hugely overshadowed by Evan's well publicised drink and drug problem. Now, however, Evan has cleaned up his act, and returned with another batch of so-laid-back-they're-horizontal summery guitar pop tunes. And what tunes they are. There are two main things that all the tracks on 'Baby I'm Bored' have in common: Acoustic guitars and fantastic hooks. Even as I write this I'm finding myself singing along to every track. Most tracks are in a similar vein to the Lemonheads' quieter moments, effortlessly catchy and often with a slight country twang. Opener 'Repeat' is one of the most Lemonheads-y tracks, starting with a lazily beautiful chord progression leading into a tighter sounding verse with a bit of distorted guitars in the verse, before the lazy chords return for the chorus. Next song 'My Idea' is more acoustic based, but is also very Lemonheads, baring a slight resemblance to Lemonheads number 'The Outdoor Type' (Off 'Car Button Cloth'). After this, more folk and country influences work their way into the music, though all of it is still very Dando. A few of the songs are either written or co-written by Dando's friend and fan Ben Lee, who, with 'All My Life', manages to sum up Evan's life over the last decade better than all other tracks on the album. Evan's problems do crop up often in a lot of the songs. "I can't believe how far I slipped/But secretly I'm Glad I did," Evan tells us on 'The Same Thing You Thought Hard About is The Same Part I Can Live Without', and you can't get more honest than that. It's Evan's ability to take a look at his life and laugh is partly what makes his songs so great, making stays at rehab clinics seem like light subject matter ("I'll Take the bus to the Clinic/every Thursday/ where the experts won't know what the fuck to do" he sings on 'My Idea'). Even the more sombre sounding moments are light-hearted deep down, which is really what you'd hope to get with an Evan Dando solo album. Once again, he's created the perfect soundtrack to lazy summer afternoons. Perfect, barbeque music.

Track Listing:-

1 Repeat
2 My Idea
3 Rancho Santa Fe
4 Waking Up
5 Hard Drive
6 Shots Is Fired
7 It Looks Like You
8 The Same Thing You Thought Hard About Is The Same
9 Why Do You Do This To Yourself
10 All Mmy Life
11 Stop My Head
12 In The Grass All Wine Colored

Band Links:-

http://www.evandando.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/Evan-Dando-240036079361267/
https://twitter.com/evan_dando

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