As frontman of Bostonian slackers the Lemonheads, Evan Dando was once considered just as likely a candidate for superstardom as his contemporary Kurt Cobain. As the years went by, however, his goofy persona and drug-fuelled antics began to overshadow his band's intriguing, if erratic, records. When they split in 1997 it seemed unlikely that Dando would ever make another album - but he has, and thankfully, it does his idiosyncratic talent full justice. Baby I'm Bored is a ramshackle but charming collection of melodic country-rock, the sound of a man getting back in touch with his roots. In fact, the overriding impression is that Dando has finally woken up after a long hibernation and is determined to make up for lost time. It's sparsely produced and strangely sequenced (the best songs are held back to the end), but it's also endlessly inventive and, for the most part, oddly affecting. Against all the odds, it looks as if Mr Dando is back on track - let's just hope he doesn't get derailed again.
