Produced by Philadelphia singer/songwriter Ben Vaughn, 1989′s Man Overboard is one of Kenn Kweder’s best, most essential albums. Most of Kweder’s releases are excellent — he is one of folk-rock and rock & roll’s unsung heroes, at least outside of Philly — but Man Overboard is an album that his fans hold in especially high regard. And it isn’t hard to see why; Man Overboard is as consistent as it is diverse and unpredictable. On this album, Kweder shows listeners different sides of his personality. He is a reflective, Bob Dylan-influenced folk-rocker on “Apology” and “Remember Me,” which isn’t among the Kweder originals — it was written by the late Philly songwriter Billy Schied. Meanwhile, Kweder is a gutsy, punky, new wave-influenced rocker on “Jimmy the Beanstalk,” the defiant “Do What I Want,” and the infectious “What Am I Talking About.” The thing that all of these songs have in common is their tunefulness; whether he is rocking aggressively or getting into pensive folk-rock, Kweder always brings a strong sense of melody to the material. One hears a wide variety of influences on this album — everyone from Dylan and Leonard Cohen to Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty (among others). There are even times when Kweder brings to mind Sparks vocalist Russell Mael (minus the eccentricity). But whomever Kweder is being influenced by, he always sounds like his own man. Man Overboard isn’t the only Kweder release that is worth owning, but if you’re exploring his work for the first time, it would be an excellent starting point. – Alex Henderson
more »