Review of Baby I'm Bored by Chris Jones
From the BBC website May 2003
Of course it's hard to write any
review of Evan Dando's debut album without using phrases like 'return from
the wilderness' or 'long-awaited comeback'. However recent interviews with
Dando reveal a man hardly contrite about his lost weekend that lasted 5 years!
It has to be argued that being lazily labelled as grunge's posterboy and hanging
around with Courtney Love would send any man over the edge. Yet let's not
forget that Dando is the king of the dissolute lyric, and there's definitely
something awry if this album doesn't make you feel like curling up with a
bottle of Tequila. Don't worry it does.
Baby I'm Bored doesn't contain the rolling around on the floor guitar mayhem
that we've come to expect. The grunge tag applied to Evan over the years is
finally laid to rest with a set of songs that confirm his place in the pantheon
of acts currently filed under 'alt country'. Indeed, Giant Sand make an appearance
on the closer "In The Grass All Wine Colored".
The lo-fi production by Bryce Goggin and Jon Brion (who contributes several
co-writing credits) focuses firmly on Dando's voice. It's lost none of its
ability to deliver memorable hooks with the kind of insouciant charm that
thankfully hasn't been diminished by his legendary self-abuse.
Sure, regret has its place here. It's hard not to read an autobiographical
slant in "Why Do You Do This To Yourself?" and "All My Life" is a lament to
wasted opportunities. Yet, as with his finest Lemonheads songs, the bitterness
is always delivered with a self-deprecating humour. "Looks Like You" and "Stop
My Head" are as jaunty and radio-friendly as anything he's ever done. "Rancho
Santa Fe" is like Calexico shooting it out with Wilco at high noon (all dusty
samples and southern doom), and "Hard Drive" must rate as one of the loveliest
country shuffles in years.
For all its low-key charms, this is a positive reaffirmation of the talent
we all knew Dando had in him. Let's just hope that he's now on to more productive
ground. Give us more Evan, now!