Jill Sobule

Sat., Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m., $22-$35, with Erin McKeown, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.

by K. Ross Hoffman

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Published: Dec 1, 2009

folk/pop

From the sound of things, Denver native/New York transplant Jill Sobule's "California Years" may not have been the sunniest to live through, but listening to the very smart, very funny thusly titled new record that they inspired is a total treat. The album (which was entirely funded by fan donations at jillsnextrecord.com) finds her grappling head-on with her conflicted cynicism about West Coast vapidity, pondering the whereabouts of exes and forgotten cultural icons, penning another batch of sweetly quirky character sketches, and generally offering as fine a display as ever of the sensitivity and wit which make her one of the most likable songwriters around. 

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