Sarah Sharp

Fourth Person

Sarah Sharp shatters unmistakable influences from Alanis Morrissette to Jewel, creating a protein shake of mid-1990s female-oriented pop/rock on her Fourth Person. Unlike some of her inspirations, however, Sharp’s debut is light on the protein and heavy on the shake. What shakes is a blissful pulse, one in which songs about love-breaking (“Surrender”) and love-making (“Time Capsule”) coexist comfortably. Sharp’s delivery, a cross between Tracy Bonham and Veruca Salt’s Nina Gordon, has all of the raspy strength to match her subtle songwriting techniques. But much of the kudos belongs to producers Dan Workman and Kevin Ryan for taking otherwise routine compositions and arranging them to sound so much grander. “Run” could’ve been just another barroom ballad à la Sheryl Crow, but with the haunting additions of various keys and toys, it becomes a fanciful event with a killer hook. The same can be said for the album’s best tracks, “Too Close” and “Can’t We Just Love?,” which feature staggering performances by the band and producers. Not to be outdone, Sharp shines on relative solo tracks, like the peaceful, Tori Amos-tinged “It’s Too Late.” Maintaining a one-woman Lilith Fair must be exhausting.

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This article appears in July 16 • 2004.

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