In 1992, through all the angst and anguish, the shirt ripping and guitar flinging of grunge, shot a Ray of light. Although Evan Dando’s Boston strugglers Lemonheads were on the verge of splitting after their major-label debut Lovey (1990) failed to gain traction, when his adorable slacker folk melodies were unearthed from the sludge by the more sensitive Robb Brothers production on its follow-up (their fifth album), Lemonheads instantly encapsulated a far more idyllic form of teen spirit. Half an hour of breezy grunge folk odes to friendship, romance, layabout living and recreational drugs, capped with the flying freak flag of a casual acoustic cover of Frank Mills from Hair, It’s A Shame About Ray was a stepping stone between the melodic end of US grunge (Buffalo Tom, Smashing Pumpkins) and the cult indie rock and alt.folk acts of the later 90s (Elliott Smith, Fountains Of Wayne, Ryan Adams).