Ingrid Michaelson, "Girls and Boys," CD Review

It's like your first taste of coffee. Strange from the first sip, but addicting the more you drink it. That's how I would describe Ingrid Michaelson's CD, "Girls and Boys." Offering an innovative, and fresh sound digestible by the masses but pleasingly quirky enough to give the critics something to love, Michaelson's Girls and Boys, is collection of excellent songs.

Opening the EP is the tune "Die Alone." It quickly introduces you into the odd but pop-friendly delivery that Michaelson has embraced. The lyrics are different, but quite crafty and a nice change from the every day stale lyrics we're often bombarded with on commercial radio. Michaelson begins by singing about eating her morning toast, but notices on this day, it's not the same. "Something tastes different. Maybe it's my tongue," she sings. "Something tastes different. Suddenly I'm not so young." Nothing catches my attention more than innovative lyrics, especially when delivered by such a bedroom sweet voice.

"Breakable," another of the greats on this album, gives me the off-the-wall fix I need after hearing Michaelson's opener. This piano driven song opens with a lyrical lesson in anatomy 101. Again, her poetry is phenomenal, and the hook, "We are just breakable, breakable, breakable girls and boys," is fantastic.

There's a lot of diversity on this CD. It moves from semi-rockin' guitar tunes to bouncy piano pop tunes. I like the diversity because it works. There is a very nice flow on this album, and the change in style and instrumentalism breaks up the monotony of your typical, "everything sounds the same," kind of release. What does stay consistent is Michaelson's great vocals, great melodies and incomparable lyrics.

One of her more popular tunes, given great exposure by it's inclusion in an Old Navy commercial, is "The Way I Am." You may recall the line, "If you are chilly, here take my sweater." The chorus rings, "'Cause I-I-I-I l-o-o-o-ove the way you call me baby." Old Navy obviously used the more commercial-friendly section of the song, so don't let what you hear on TV disappointingly fool you. "The Way I Am's" lyrics, which also include "I'd buy you Rogaine, when you start losing all your hair," are as anti-cookie cutter songwriting as it gets. It's a nice song in the Old Navy commercial. It's a brilliant song on the CD.

My favorite tune is the closing song, "Far Away." Lyrically, this is a storytelling masterpiece. Michaelson sings, "I will live my life as a lobsterman's wife on an island in the blue bay. He will take care of me, he will smell like the sea and close to my heart he'll always stay." It only gets better from there. You'll have a tough time finding a lyricist as talented as Michaelson. I'm simply stunned.

It should also be mentioned that this CD includes the song, "Corner of your Heart." Featured in Grey's Anatomy, it has certainly brought Ingrid Michaelson some fame. "Corner of your Heart," along with her Old Navy tune, has helped to launch the relatively unknown artist into a larger spotlight.

I read a blog Michaelson wrote addressing some concerns of her fans. There was an indication that Michaelson was a sell-out for doing the Old Navy commercial and the Grey's Anatomy spot. Music fans, the definition of selling out is altering your creative vision and integrity for money or fame. Indgrid Michelson's CD, Girls and Boys, is a creative gem. Major labels and commercial radio would typically snub many of these songs with their lyrics about Rogaine and toast. If Michaelson can get the major exposure that she has thus far, with no label support and clearly without altering her creative vision, she is living the songwriter's dream. Girls and Boys is a phenomenal CD, and we're proud that Ingrid Michaelson has accomplished commercial fame by simply being herself.

Artist Website: www.ingridmichaelson.com

Review By: ListenersGeneration.com