Evan Dando: Baby I'm Bored (Bar/None / Breath of Salt Water, 2003)

Favourite Songs:

All My Life, Hard Drive, Rancho Santa Fe, It Looks Like You



Oh my. Mr Evan Dando is finally back with an album that lives up to the extremely high expectations. His former band The Lemonheads recorded some of the biggest guitar pop classics of the nineties and for many they were the band that made them falling in love with guitar pop. My own Lemonheads (and pop) obsession started in the late nineties and therefore Lemonheads don't have quite as huge meaning to me as for example The Posies and Teenage Fanclub who were around at the time. Nevertheless, albums like 'It's a Shame About Ray' and 'Come On Feel The Lemonheads' hit me hard and became cornerstones of my record collection. After The Lemonheads broke up, there was all kind of rumours going on about Evan's condition etc. Probably some of them were true and some weren't. The important thing is that Evan Dando got through and is again making ultimately uplifting music.

Baby I'm Bored is the first studio solo album by Evan Dando. There's plenty of talented musicians collaborating with Evan. Tom Morgan who also wrote many classic Lemonhead songs is involved, Mr Howe Gelb performs on a few tracks, Ben Lee wrote a couple of songs and pop genius Jon Brion co-wrote and produced some of the material. The first thing that draws one's attention is obviously Evan's vocals. He has such an amazing voice and his vocals always sound so genuine and beliavable. My own favourite songs have been 'All My Life' and 'Hard Drive' since the first listen. While browsing the booklet I noticed that these had something in common. Both were written by Ben Lee. I'll need to look more into his work. I only have one single by him. Of course Evan's interpretation is a big part of the charm and some couldn't get anything out from song like 'Hard Drive'. It just fits perfectly to Evan. 'It Looks like You' is a pop jewel that Evan wrote with Brion in twenty minutes. 'Baby I'm Bored' is definitely an album and not just a collection of songs. It's an absolute deligth that dances quietly into your heart. Overall sound is warm and restful. Simple, enchanting and traditional music. Just the songs and a beautiful voice. Sometimes longing, but always uplifting. Often country-tinged, never boring. I'm moved and have listened to this repeatedly since I bought it.

'Baby I'm Bored' is a strong album to weak moments. After two days of drinking with your friends, you wake up on a sunday morning in a slight hangover. You're recalling the smiling faces and laughable moments, you drink a cup of coffee and look through the window and see some kids playing football in the yard, there's no rush, you have the time to think, time to dream, time to think back your life. Everything stands still for a second. This is a soundtrack to those moments.





Evan Dando Website


Written 10.04.2003