A singer/songwriter with a gift for appealing melodies and lyrics that are witty, cutting, and dour, Jules Shear has enjoyed a cult following as a recording artist while achieving recognition penning hits for others, including Cyndi Lauper ("All Through the Night"), the Bangles ("If She Knew What She Wants"), and Alison Moyet ("Whispering Her Name"). Shear's performances of his songs usually push their emotional complexities to the forefront and his reedy voice has a bite, but he's capable of expressing longing, jealousy, compassion, and resignation without forcing his hand. Shear's 1983 solo debut, Watch Dog, was a superb set of smart, literate pop, 1992's The Great Puzzle featured some of the best songs of his career, 2006's Dreams Don't Count was a powerful set of personal meditations on failed relationships, and 2020's Slower was an engaging song cycle about aging.