Forgive me if I'm behind the times on this one. Since I don't get broadcast television I didn't know until today that Ingrid Michaelson's music has been on Grey's Anatomy for two years. I also didn't know that she was a MySpace sensation that self-produced her way onto #2 on the pop charts with her debut album Boys and Girls. Nor did I realize that her new album Everybody was number one on iTunes as recently as this August. I found her because a coworker suggested Vienna Teng (also very good) and emusic suggested Michaelson as being similar to Teng.
What I have known from the moment I heard her music is that her music is extremely accessible. Just as Peter O'Toole opines about the desert in Lawrence of Arabia, I believe the beauty of Michaelson's music is that "It's clean."
She has a knack for presenting sentimental lyrics in a way that doesn't leave an overly sweet aftertaste. On the song Giving Up she doesn't reveal why she's giving up until the final line, which adds considerably to the impact of the lyrics.
She has had some widely played songs, such as The Way I Am and Be OK. The latter appeared in the recent Anna Faris movie House Bunny.
However, as is often the case, there are plenty of gems that are a little less catchy and a lot more interesting than the hits, such as Giving Up, Corner of Your Heart, Far Away, Die Alone and others.
Potential defects:
- Some of these songs might "get stuck in your head"
- Some songs my be too slow and sentimental or repetitive.
- Her staying power is still a question. I've only been listening to her for a few weeks.
Here are some video links for you to sample the music:
Extra-special Bonus!
Some great tracks from other artists I've recently come to know and like:
