I'd recommend starting with David Wilcox's Home Again...beautiful production job by Ben Wisch; wonderful songs. Better by half than most of what he's done since.

I was a full-time music columnist when it came out in 1991--to this day, I remember putting it in the stereo, and instead of puttering around or finishing up an article as I was usually prone to do on first listen, I just sat in my office chair and listened as the sun went down. I can only think of one other time an album grabbed me so powerfully right away.