The Lemonheads
Ten years between albums is a long time for a musician to sustain momentum, but when you're Evan Dando, it's a matter of doing again what you do best: Stick close to what got you here. Of course, this self-titled record comes  nowhere near the early Lemonheads' mayhem ofCreatororLick, but it does bookend nicely with the 1993 delightCome on Feel the Lemonheads. Backed by drummer Bill Stevenson and bassist Karl Alvarez, both ex of the Descendents and All, the album at times has a 110 mph feel, complemented by Dando's trademark rock-candy prose on songs like "Black Gown," "Pittsburgh" and "Rule of 3." But Dando's at his most fresh when he veers from the predictable—the country ramble of "Poughkeepsie" and the waltzing "Baby's Home," or when he lets loose J. Mascis for a stinging lead and solo guitar on "No Backbone." While this very well could be labeled a solo record for Dando, there's nothing wrong with the moniker that reminds us that the Lemonheads live on.--Scott Holter