Jill Sobule Hit List review

from Acoustic Guitar magazine's February 2005 issue

Jill Sobule, Underdog Notorious. No other songwriter sees the world quite like Jill Sobule. On her latest record she exalts the mundane and celebrates weirdness in the most disarming way. She softens you up with lighthearted songs like "Jetpack" then, when your guard is down, hits you with heartbreakers like "The Last Line" or "Nothing Natural." It's an approach that's worked well for her ever since her 1995 MTV hit, "I Kissed a Girl." Though she sometimes seems to be smirking on the surface, she packs her songs with pop melodicism and emotional warmth. When she takes the stage armed with only a travel guitar, singing perfectly crafted tunes about ostracized underdogs and adults who still live like freshmen, you can't help rooting for her -- not because you feel sorry for her, but because it's obvious that this much talent deserves more attention and rewards. Unlike the "let's party" goofiness of Barenaked Ladies, Sobule's quirky humor seems more conspiratorial, more like a whisper to a confidante than a feel-good joke with easy punch lines. What seals the deal, though, is Sobule's instantly identifiable voice, which is every bit as soulful and endearing as her songwriting. (Artemis, www.artemisrecords.com)