The Lemonheads: Love Chant [Album Review]

The Lemonheads
Love Chant
Fire Records [2025]

“Evan Dando’s most effortless charm in decades — Love Chant hums with warmth, wit, and jangly perfection.”

Album Overview: Formed in Boston in the mid-’80s, The Lemonheads grew from scrappy college rock beginnings into one of the defining alternative acts of the early ’90s. Led by Evan Dando, the group earned widespread acclaim with It’s a Shame About Ray and Come On Feel the Lemonheads, blending bright pop hooks with heart-worn lyrics and sly humor. After lineup changes and years of stop-and-start activity, Dando remains the creative center—his songwriting forever balancing punk energy with tender reflection.

Love Chant marks The Lemonheads’ first album of original material in nearly two decades, and it’s a welcome return. Recorded in São Paulo with producer Apollo Nove, the record gathers longtime friends and collaborators—including J Mascis, Juliana Hatfield, John Strohm, and Erin Rae—for a collection that feels relaxed, melodic, and quietly confident. The songs drift between jangly rock, dreamy folk, and subtle psychedelia, all held together by Dando’s easy charm. There’s no pressure to reclaim past glory here, and that’s exactly why Love Chant works—it sounds natural, familiar, and better with each listen.

Musical Style: Love Chant taps into The Lemonheads’ melodic rock roots while stretching into softer, warmer spaces. Guitars chime, harmonies glow, and the rhythm section moves with an unhurried groove. Apollo Nove’s production gives everything a loose, lived-in feel, letting Dando’s understated vocals breathe within layers of acoustic and electric tones. The guest harmonies from Erin Rae and Juliana Hatfield add just the right touch of nostalgia and light, grounding the record in comfort and connection.

Evolution of Sound: This is Evan Dando at peace with his own legacy—an artist who’s traded the slacker pop image of the ’90s for something more grounded and reflective. Where early Lemonheads albums chased immediacy, Love Chant leans on atmosphere and subtlety. The mix of international players and old friends keeps things fresh without leaning on sentimentality, proving Dando’s still chasing melody, honesty, and emotional clarity rather than trying to relive the past.

Artists with Similar Fire: If you vibe with the melodic sincerity of Wilco, the breezy charm of Teenage Fanclub, or the introspective wander of Kurt Vile, this one’s for you. There’s also a hint of The Go-Betweens’ gentle melancholy and Yo La Tengo’s textural glow. Fans of Matthew Sweet or Big Star will recognize that golden, guitar-driven pop craftsmanship, while echoes of The Replacements and Silver Jews linger in the record’s mix of ragged warmth and heartfelt wit.

Pivotal Tracks: “58 Second Song” opens the record with a wink—the title undersells a tune that runs closer to three and a half minutes of jangly perfection. Erin Rae’s spectral harmonies wrap around Dando’s laid-back croon, giving the track that classic Lemonheads shimmer. “Deep End,” co-written with Tom Morgan, brings the guitars front and center again, featuring a ripping solo from J Mascis and some of Juliana Hatfield’s sweetest backing vocals. “In the Margin” hits a balance of rawness and melody, unfolding like a late-night confession. “The Key of Victory” slows things down with meditative guitar tones and Rae’s haunting vocal line, while “Togetherness Is All I’m After” is another album tender note with Dando’s final plea—“Baby, don’t blow it”—feeling both resigned and hopeful.

Lyrical Strength: Dando has always written like someone talking through a thought mid-cigarette—simple words, big truths. On Love Chant, he reflects on time, honesty, and connection without ever sounding heavy-handed. His lyrics still walk that fine line between humor and heartbreak, only now with a little more gratitude and grace. It’s the sound of someone who’s learned to live with his own weather.

Final Groove: Love Chant doesn’t try to reinvent The Lemonheads; it simply reminds us why Evan Dando still matters. It’s a melodic return from an artist who’s found balance in both tone and spirit. There’s warmth in its looseness, and a quiet thrill in hearing Dando so comfortable in his own skin. Nearly twenty years later, he’s still chasing the perfect hook—and on Love Chant, he comes impressively close.

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