Jill Sobule
Pink Pearl

By Steven Stone
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  Every so often you come upon a singer and songwriter whose talent is so obviously prodigious that you can't help but wonder why they aren't a huge star. Jill Sobule is just such an artist. Pink Pearl is her first release on the Beyond label. Her last two albums were both on Atlantic, both marvelous, and neither moved enough units. They dropped her. They suck.

Pink Pearl continues Jill's explorations of living in the modern world. Her subject matter varies from people looking for perfection as in "Lucy at the Gym" to roadside restaurants with great biscuits in "Loveless Motel". The arrangements are as quirky as the songs, featuring effects and instruments far outside the usual range of a singer-songwriter album. While some pop albums sound hard and glassy, Pink Pearl has a rich warm, dare I say, feminine quality to the sound. While not quite as lush as her earlier releases (independent productions have budget constraints), it still is much more heavily produced than your typical singer-songwriter release. This more theatrical and full-bodied approach works well for Sobule’s material, much of which has big-screen cinematic flavor.

Buy this CD. Support real art. You'll rarely stumble across an album that Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, The Village Voice, and Enjoy the Music.com™ all agree 
is fabulous.

Enjoyment: 95

Sound: 85