JILL SOBULE
Underdog Victorious
Artemis
· In the time since her last album this college dropout has been composing music for a Nickelodeon TV series and taking guest roles on The West Wing.
With Jill Sobule’s fifth album, the writer of "I Kissed a Girl" and "Supermodel" continues to deliver silvery candy-fluff pop and carefree-sounding lyrics mined with knives so sharp you don’t notice them until your thumb falls off. "Tel Aviv," for instance, has such a dreamy absence that you could easily miss that it’s about a prostitute in the Middle East. "The Last Line" croons a tender goodbye to a doomed relationship in the middle of a cocaine addiction. "Underdog Victorious" dates Sobule for those who remember the days of Underdog, but nevertheless is a shamelessly singable anthem for outcasts. Plus the bonus track, "I Saw a Cop," is a joyous, guitar-driven, rockabilly number that is an instant lesbian classic.
Every song here is catchy and treacherous, winding its way into your psyche, and Sobule’s ability to walk the edge of sugar-sweet pop without falling in is unerring. She’s been compared to Cyndi Lauper, also deeply underrated due to a coo-coo-ca-choo voice and Noo Yawk accent, and maybe Sobule’s career is doomed to the same persistent underestimation, but Underdog Victorious proves that it’s not for want of talent.
|
Copyright ©2004 FFWD. All rights reserved.