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Rich WebbOverboard All Killer/Independent Although, like everybody, I try not to judge a book (or, in this case, a record) by its cover, this cover photo of Rich Webb, standing in some overgrown backyard next to a destitute, corrugated iron shed, dressed in a mismatched suit, scratching his head as if simultaneously worried and disinterested, screamed out for me to discover who the hell this guy was. And I'm glad I did: 'Overboard' is a gem of a record, even if it's one of those albums you'd never hear except on recommendation. But I tell you; once you've got it you'll never want to let go. Webb fits somewhere around the Dave Graney mould of singer/songwriter, although his songs are less reliant on some kind of assumed personality, and more focussed on the way in which his real personality presents itself through the form of song. For example, Don't Feel So Sad, the opening track to this opus, is not all like Graney - it's a Triple J hit in the making (if only they'd play it), with a chorus to die for. In fact, I'd say this song is rivalled only by Michael Carpenter's Good Enough in the male singer/songwriter stakes for 2004. But this record is also overflowing with his personality, and his less-than-orthodox way of producing pop music. Judy Garland has a Bluebottle Kiss style to it; the demented lament, Blue-Eyed Girl, is masterful; Move On Over, which you may have heard before, expertly adopts an electronic sound to make you bend to its groovy will; Firehole quietly rocks; and the climax, Miranda is a dirty pop song to make you sit up and take notice. And the best part is, I don't even think as yet that I've discovered everything that I'm going to love about this album.  |
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