Lemonheads By Lemonheads

Ten years since their last release, Boston's native sons the Lemonheads are back - kind of. Suffice to say, the self-titled release doesn't reunite the original band, a lineup that hasn't existed since 1989; rather, it signals lead 'Head Evan Dando's return to rock. The unlikely teen idol, whose brief time in the limelight outshone record sales or mainstream acceptance, recovered from the mandatory fall-from-grace with his 2003 solo debut, "Baby I'm Bored." Now he has taken his old band name back, plugged his guitar back into an amp, and recruited two former members of the Descendents to make a brisk, punk-inspired bid for further glory. So the Lemonheads may never have been the best band from Boston, but the legions of fans and critics that swear by the band's 1992 "It's A Shame About Ray" album are sure to welcome the name back with open arms. Dando is still combining his love of rock, punk, folk, and country, but on the self-titled record he seems more willing then ever to put his head down and barrel through the songs. The 11 songs fire one after the other in a little over half an hour, all of them relying on alternative-rock energy. Even the most country-fried song of them all, "Baby's Home," is plugged in. Dando is so eager to fully and truly rock he even brings in Dinosaur Jr.'s guitar legend J Mascis to bring the house down on two songs. But Dando, who sounds as young and fresh as ever on these tracks, is still relying on old tricks. His knack for pop songwriting remains unchanged, which is good because he can write some great songs, but is unfortunate because he hasn't improved on any of his flaws. "The Lemonheads" has a number of really good songs, such as the opening "Black Gown," but is bogged down with mediocrity. To make matters worse, not one classic emerges out of the whole set - usually Dando can be counted down for at least a smattering of spot-on songs per album. To his credit, though, Dando keeps most of the writing in-house. In the past he found most of his best, or at least his most famous, songs co-written (not to mention that the band's biggest commercial hit was their indelible, Generation-X cover of "Mrs. Robinson"). While new member Bill Stevenson and longtime Dando collaborator Tom Morgan make some big contributions to the material, Dando handles over half the album by himself, including tracks like "Pittsburgh" that serve as highlights of the record. So "The Lemonheads" isn't the huge proclamation that a reunion often implies, but as Dando's return to the electric-guitar inspired work of the past, it works. In fact, "The Lemonheads" is something of a good allegory to the band itself. It's not the best, it's not the most original, but Dando is an undeniable talent. "The Lemonheads" is sure to bring a lot of smiles to a lot faces and Dando seems to be working on his own terms. Even if the spotlight isn't shining so bright, The Lemonheads are back, kind of, and their new album might not be that great, but it's good enough.

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