T
hough the Lemonheads have long been hailed by college-rock geeks, the Boston trio's mainstream buzz has come via singer-guitarist Evan Dando's dimples. Babe-o-licious cover shots of Dando on countless magazines have attracted starry-eyed fans who would probably love the 26-year-old even if he sang like Barney.
On the band's fifth album, Come on Feel the Lemonheads, Dando delivers clever wordplay and deep, harmonious vocals. On "Paid to Smile" he recognizes the landslide of poster-boy press he's gotten, then brushes it off. He would rather sing about everyday stuff, like how water goes down the drain backward in Australia, the loss of his favorite T-shirts to former lovers and how it must feel to be a girl with razor stubble on your legs. The music surrounding these minitales is mainly melodic pop with a new-found country flavor, but like Dando, these sounds would rather have spur-of-the-moment fun than evoke deep passion.
