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Evan Dando - Baby I'm Bored |
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06 August 2005 |
Evan Dando
Baby I'm Bored - (Bar/None)
Evan Dando has always been an illusive musical figure, dating back to the height of his popularity as the head Lemonhead. Yet even while he was being referred to as the alterna-hunk of alternative rock, he was (whether secretly or not) still just a sensitive singer/songwriter deep down. And not surprisingly, this first solo release solidifies Dando's reputation as a sort of manic-depressive softie, and folkish strummer.
Ah, but what a fine songwriter is he, as this album's opener ("Repeat") aurally testifies. Still, "Baby I'm Bored" is a rather subdued recorded offering, which requires a little extra time on the listener's part to truly appreciate it. A song like "Hard Drive," for example, finds Dando holding back the vocal and musical theatrics for the most part. A little more audio snap, crackle and pop might have helped, however. Unfortunately, "Waking Up" is one of this release's few sonic moments where the listener's attention is temporarily alerted. But this is only because the track's hand-clappy rhythm sound is just a little too much like another familiar song -- "Stay Up Late" by Talking Heads.
Such instances of noticeable musical nuances are few and far between here. On "Stop My Head," a keyboard line makes this song's intro sound almost like '80s synth-pop-- of all things -- and "In The Grass All Wine Colored" hops along with an ever so slight country twang. Pop-master John Brion produced this album, and even co-wrote some of its songs along with Dando. And even though Brion has a reputation for adding much sparkle and shine to his productions, this release doesn't exactly jump out of the speakers at you. Thus, the strong melodic hook and vocal layers driving "Looks Like You" stick out distinctly.
Evan Dando is quite the serious fellow, if this collection of songs is any indication at all. "Why Do You Do This To Yourself," for instance, finds Dando warning a friend about his/her destructive lifestyle. But one imagines he might just as easily be talking to himself, especially in light of his well-publicized substance abuse history. Despite the mumbled declaration of this album's lethargic title, one suspects that Dando's dangerous life up to now has been anything but boring. Perhaps if he lived a few more dull moments, his days might not have been quite so hard.
7.4 |
