Who is David Grossman and why does his voice sound like Paul Simon? Slightly feminine-sounding but incredibly musical and pleasing to the ear, Grossman's voice shines through this album of easy-listening folk- pop. In the style of Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, and Al Stewart, the songs on Grossman's Words & Miles

LP (on Warped Records) are built on lucid, gentle melodies and lyrics that tell of quirky affairs of the heart. Indispensable tracks include the tranquil wake-up call "Smiles for the Morning" and "Kaleidoscope Girl," with it's swirling lost-in-a-fog- of-emotions aura. Then there's 'Junkyard," a grungy, sparse rocker that transforms a heap of rubbish and abandoned dreams into something almost eloquent: "It's a poorman's treasure/it's a rich man's waste/It's an artist's dream and a snob's bad taste/It's a playground and a garbage man's cell/It's a stop downstream from the wishing will."

In BAM rating terminology, this is a five-note album. Anyone who likes well-crafted pop ballads will love David Grossman. Check this fellow out.