Search - Ingrid Michaelson :: Everybody

Michaelson's Best Thus Far

Berkley Todd | New York, NY | 08/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A huge fan of her past work, I've been anticipating the release of this album for months. My expectations were incredibly high, yet somehow, Michaelson has managed to exceed them. With this album she has finally solidified her sound, and with access to higher production values, she has made good use of the studio. This album is not over-produced, as we often see happen to many artists like her, but is excellently orchestrated on every track to achieve an effect that is simultaneously intimate and grand. These sounds would fill the largest concert hall, yet also be very in place at your local coffee shop. This is what sets this album apart from her previous work "Girls & Boys." Here, we such a much broader variety of sounds and musical colors; however, they are all distinctly Michaelson, tied together by her unique, sultry vocal quality.



All songs seem relatively simple lyrically, but upon closer examination you'll find that the lyrics actually work on many levels, using beautiful metaphors and often idiomatic phrases to achieve a deep sort of representational meaning. For example, in the stunning ballad Are We There Yet, Michaelson sings of silver linings in clouds and images of a peaceful home to create a sense of longing for a non-present simple love. Though lyrics often repeat, they do so out of necessity, reaching as deep as they can with their poignant messages of hope, love, and loss.



While there isn't a bland track on the album, standouts include Soldier, Everybody, Are We There Yet, Sort Of, The Chain, Mountain and the Sea, Locked Up, and Maybe. An absolute must have for your collection, "Everybody" may just become one of your favorites. In just a day, it has quickly become one of mine.



"

Excellent

Shayna N. Dunn | 11/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've always been a fan of Ingrid Michaelson and think that she's very talented. However, with her other albums, I really got the impression that she was still searching for her niche. The music was good, and the lyrics were nice but sometimes trite. I can't listen to her older albums over and over (which is how I gadge the greatness of a singer/group/whatever). This album, on the other hand, is a lot different. I looked up all the lyrics of every song and found them, above all, clever, but also heart-wrenching in some places, funny in others, real-life, and incredibly appropriate. The music is equally catchy and lovely.



This album is a tribute to Ingrid's incredible growth as both a musician and a woman. I can only believe that in the future, she will continue in the same manner.



Great CD that I would recommend to anyone.



"

Ingrid Michaelson Takes A Step Toward Mainstream

Philip R. Heath | DFW | 09/06/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"So far 2009 has seen a number of "sophomore" releases from artists, and Everybody from Ingrid Michaelson is one of them (I'm not counting the EP Be OK but limiting to major releases). Fans looking for Girls and Boys Part II will not find what they are looking for in Everybody. However deviating from Girls and Boys is not necessarily a bad thing. I found Everybody to be a much more focused work. It is also much more mainstream; however, some will not look on this favorably. You could almost make



Instrumentally, Everybody has more depth and variety. I loved the violin and cello on "Soldier" and "Incredible Love". Michaelson also introduces Ukulele on songs such as "Everybody" and "Mountain And The Sea". It has a feel similar to Israel Kamakawiwo`Ole's rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" from 50 First Dates. I also really enjoyed the subtly stated use of trumpet on "So Long". Perhaps as a way of at least loosely connecting with her past work, "Everybody" and "Mountain And The Sea" also feature the folksy hand clapping that Michaelson used on Girls and Boys.



Vocally, Everybody features more of Michaelson's lower register. This comes right out of the gate on "Soldier", and it continues on other tracks such as "Sort Of", "Maybe", and "Incredible Love". That is not to say that Michaelson has switched exclusively to a dusky alto. Songs such as "Are We There Yet", "Men Of Snow", and "The Chain" have plenty of her upper register and falsetto. "The Chain" is the studio version of a song that we first heard on Be OK. It has the same vocal round at the end as the live version did, and it just doesn't seem to fit with the rest of Everybody. As a final note, Everybody has good vocal harmony. I really liked the way this came through on the chorus of "Mountain And The Sea" and "Maybe".



Lyrically, Michaelson plays things much more straight up than she did on Girls and Boys. Love and relationships dominate Everybody as seen on "Soldier" - "And so it goes. The soldier knows./The battle with the heart isn't easily won." and "Maybe" - "Maybe in the future/you're gonna come back/you're gonna come back around". It is obvious from the title alone on "Incredible Love" and "Once Was Love". The one song that would fit with the more unique style of Girls and Boys is "Men Of Snow" where Michaelson tells of building a snowman that she tells her troubles to only to find him melted the next day. Even this still seems friendlier to a wider audience than most of Girls and Boys.



All in all, Everybody is a major step forward for Ingrid Michaelson. While I enjoyed Girls and Boys, it almost seems esoteric compared to Everybody. Michaelson has created a sound that while featuring greater breadth in vocal range and instrumentation is at the same time more focused. Fans of KT Tunstall, Sonya Kitchell, and A Fine Frenzy should give this a try.



Download this: Maybe"