THE LEMONHEADS – VARSHONS
Love him or hate him (and the later might currently outweigh the former) Evan Dando has had a colourful career thus far. The Lemondheads began life with two feet firmly in the post-punk camp, before Dando became the last man standing in the band and the gold-selling Shame About Ray made him an indie pin-up boy, star of many a teenage girls’ more lustful dreams. Over-indulgence in substances led to a long road back in the new millennium and most are still undecided about his worth. Given that Dando has had most success with other songs – be they covers like Mrs Robinson, Different Drum or those penned by other like It’s a Shame About Ray – this might seem the perfect project, an album of covers versions, Varshons. His cover of Townes Van Zandt’s I Just Can’t Take It Anymore is great choice well delivered, and surprisingly the electro-pop duet with Kate Moss on Arling & Cameron’s Dirty Robot is annoyingly effective, but the highlight is his deep baritone intoning of Layin’ Up With Linda, a murder ballad from the punk performance artist GG Allin, full of the sort of simple self-mocking humour that best suits Dando. The album closes on a low-point, an entirely lack-lustre version of Christina Aguilera’s hit Beautiful. You may not want to like Varshons, but you will have trouble maintaining that position throughout.
*** 1/2
