Jill Sobule - Things Here Are Different (1990)

Waifish and thin, Jill Sobule's voice isn't the kind that jumps right out at you. This isn't a singer who goes for immediacy. On the introspective pop/rock effort Things Here Are Different, Sobule's approach is so subtle that it may take one a while to realize just how good she is. But the more one listens, the more one sees that her songs are as thoughtful as they are meaty. After several listenings, it becomes clear that for all their subtlety, songs like "Evian," "The Gifted Child" and "Sad Beauty" get their points across quite well. One offering that really shows how disarming Sobule can be is "So Kind" -- this poignant commentary on wife abuse doesn't preach or shout, but it's definitely disturbing. Though not a huge seller, this promising, Todd Rundgren-produced date indicated that Sobule was someone to pay attention to.