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album review
For nearly three years, Ingrid Michaelson toured in support of Girls and Boys, a popular release whose songs popped up everywhere from Old Navy commercials to prime-time TV sitcoms. Michaelson was similarly omnipresent, opening for the likes of Jason Mraz in Europe while headlining her own shows at home. It's appropriate, then, that 2009's Everybody -- her first album as a genuine star -- amplifies all the elements that made Girls and Boys endearing. Michaelson is no longer a part-time waitress with a songwriting habit; she's a seasoned road veteran, acutely aware of what it takes to invest her audience, and Everybody often plays like a greatest-hits album. The lovelorn ballads -- which comprised the bulk of Girls and Boys -- occupy less space here, and the ones that do make the final cut are smartly laced with strings and layered guitar. There's a sweeping feeling to such songs, a sense of grandeur that was lost in the intimate, minimalist performances of Michaelson's debut. Perennial live favorite "The Chain" also makes an appearance, having previously dotted the track list of Ingrid's stopgap release Be OK, and its climatic refrain points to the singer's ability to turn a slow ballad into something grand. Even so, Everybody's strongest assets are its upbeat pop numbers. Michaelson has graduated from the coffeehouse to the concert hall, after all, and tracks like "Soldier" -- with its deliberate phrasing and neo-military percussion -- aim for the cheap seats at the back of a venue, a place that Girls and Boys only occasionally reached. "Everybody," a campfire singalong fueled by strummed ukulele, could be the female answer to Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," while "Mountain and the Sea" is nothing short of irresistible, its handclapped rhythm and buoyant chorus combining to create Michaelson's strongest tune to date. The only potential concern here is the absence of Allie Moss, Michaelson's ubiquitous touring partner and indispensable harmony vocalist, but Everybody rarely stumbles as a result, with Ingrid double-tracking her own harmonies (as she's always done on record) instead. Rarely does an independent album sound so assured, so polished, and so agreeable. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
more albums by this artist
See all-
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- Girls And Boys
- Released 2007
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- Be Ok
- Released 2008
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- Slow The Rain
- Released 2005
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- Keep Breathing
- Released 2008
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