Jill Sobule

Back about five years, a cute little song gave Jill Sobule at least 13 of her 15 minutes in the spotlight. "I Kissed A Girl" managed to get so much publicity because of its "controversial" lyrics, which suggested that it was actually a girl kissing another girl. Apparently it was even more shocking in the pre-Ellen days of 1995. Pink Pearl is actually Sobule's third album - the middle one managed to sink without a trace and led to her having to find a new label. Nevertheless, it doesn't exactly break any new ground for her and that might be a good thing because during the intervening five years the music scene has shifted around to her way of thinking and female singer-songwriters can finally get some recognition. This time round there are cute, poppy songs about eating disorders, suicide, broken hearts and all kinds of other angst-ridden subjects. And more girls get kissed too. But no matter how earnest the subject matter, the song sounds upbeat and kinda happy. While that probably translates into more radio play and more potential listeners, it has a grating effect because it makes her entertaining words sound insincere. In a world that regards Jewel as a true poet, there is definitely space for Jill Sobule.