Pink Pearl

1	Rainy Day Parade 3:04
2	One of These Days 3:53
3	Lucy at the Gym 3:46
4	Claire 3:39
5	Mexican Wrestler 4:15
6	Heroes 2:57
7	Mary Kay 3:25
8	Somewhere in New Mexico 4:29
9	Guy Who Doesn't Get It 3:39
10	Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart 3:12
11	Loveless Motel 2:48
12	Rock Me to Sleep 2:21

Barnes & Noble

On her fourth full-length, effervescent songwriter Jill Sobule bounces back with a batch of vibrant character sketches reminiscent of her 1995 self-titled album. Enjoy getting better acquainted with "Lucy at the Gym," wasting away as she climbs a Stairmaster to Heaven; "Claire," whose secret life is enriched by the onset of old age; and infamous Washington-state schoolteacher "Mary Kay," portrayed here with surprising sympathy. Inspired arrangements -- "Rainy Day Parade" rings out like Petula Clark on mood elevators, while the single "One of These Days" saunters atop programmed beats à la Beck or Beth Orton -- add depth to this 12-track collection without overshadowing the singer's unaffected delivery. Most impressively, Sobule serves up several truly touching songs of loves lost and found (mostly the former) that cut through the treacle. If you never thought a ditty called "Mexican Wrestler" could tug the heartstrings, this winning album will change your mind. Kurt B. Reighley

All Music Guide

Folk-pop singer Sobule's fourth album, and first for the indie Beyond label, isn't a radical change in direction; her airy, hypnotically intriguing little girl voice, floating melodies, and incisive, often droll lyrics are all similar to previous work. But there's subtlety and craftsmanship at work here, especially in the album's inspired production, which kicks these 12 songs up a notch, framing each of them in sympathetic, dazzling, often elaborate arrangements, which smartly underscore the artist's melodies. Inspired by songsmith craftsmen like Ray Davies and Elvis Costello, Sobule's perceptive lyrics tell vivid mini-dramas of everyday folks. "Rock Me to Sleep," the album's only unaccompanied song, perfectly portrays the protagonist's lonely life by describing her bedroom as "the book on the bedstand, the little TV, the drink and the ashtray." Other tracks explore details of the "Loveless Motel" with pictures of Billie Ray Cyrus and Ernest Borgnine on the wall and "Mary Kay," a teacher who becomes pregnant and runs away with one of her students. But even if you don't bother with the eloquent yet understated lyrics, Sobule's melodies and savvy knack for incorporating everything from sunny-style '60s Brit-pop complete with Mellotron, tympani, and tubular bells on "Rainy Day Parade" to Beatles-style instrumentation (check out the "Fool on the Hill" recorder, "Eleanor Rigby" string quartet, and even Byrds-ish guitar break on "Lucy at the Gym") will impress. Vocally her soft, plaintive yet bold voice falls between Suzanne Vega and Rickie Lee Jones, but it is less affected and more natural. With Pink Pearl (named after the common pencil eraser), Jill Sobule has proven that she's no one-hit novelty fluke. This album brims with imagination and talent and proves there's more to her than just another pretty voice. Hal Horowitz

Entertainment Weekly

On her fourth fine set, she splits time between wry confessionals and third person character dissections while artfully nodding to the Bards (Bacharach, the Beatles, Jobim, etc.). Will Hermes