Jordan Zevon

The burden of carrying a father’s musical legacy has been too much to bear for nearly every rock star offspring. While fans of the late Warren Zevon will undoubtedly be curious to hear if his son Jordan can approach his father’s immense writing gifts, the reality of Insides Out is that his approach is truly his own. Jordan does occasionally reflect Warren’s ability to turn a clever phrase, as on "The Joke’s On Me” and "This Girl,” but mostly what he inherited was a knack for melody and heads-up arranging. Each of the ten tracks brims with power pop savvy, recalling the best ’80s work of Elvis Costello and XTC. Including a cover of "Studebaker,” one of his father’s obscure masterpieces, is a nice tribute but it’s hardly necessary. Jordan firmly stands on his own throughout Insides Out, and furthermore offers hope that power pop is still alive and kicking.