Even as the Lemonheads leapt from Sabbath sludge to jangly pop,
alt-rocker Evan Dando always took the time to share his love of
country, whether paying tribute to Gram Parsons (“Brass Buttons”) or
writing the world’s first pro-homo truck-driving tune (“Big Gay
Heart”). For Varshons, a covers album produced by—get
this—Butthole Surfer Gibby Haynes, Dando drops his Dinosaur Jr.
influences for a solid album that, if not for the eclectic selections,
could easily be filed next to Loretta Lynn.
Dando has always excelled at reinvigorating mainstream pop (“Luka,”
“Mrs. Robinson”), but nothing quite prepares listeners for his acoustic
take on “Beautiful”—yes, the Christina Aguilera hit—which
shimmers at the edges with desert-sun feedback, as if a lost Led
Zeppelin III ballad had been unearthed in Palm Springs.
Unbelievably, Dando does Townes Van Zandt (“Waiting Around to Die”)
better than the late songwriter’s disciple, Steve Earle, giving the
song a hazy, horse-ride-at-dawn touch.
On the more obscure side, there’s a serious electronic curveball
thrown when perpetual nymph Kate Moss robotically delivers Dutch duo
Arling and Cameron’s “Dirty Robot.” But the slide guitar returns in
snuff guru GG Allin’s murder narrative “Layin’ Up With Linda,” which
may cause you to scratch your head at Dando’s silk-purse-making
skills.
If you enjoyed Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ Raising Sand or Cat Power’s covers, the Lemonheads’ Varshons will dazzle and
delight.
This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2009.