"Girls and Boys"

Staten Island native Ingrid Michaelson’s album “Girls and Boys” has received a lot of attention, as the songstress’s tracks have been featured in Grey’s Anatomy, The Bad Girls Club and an Old Navy commercial.

From its energetic opener “Die Alone” to the stunning “Breakable,” the album does not disappoint. Ingrid’s pure voice and talent of creating memorable melodies, paired with her clever writing and heart-piercing insight, makes “Girls and Boys” an album for those of all ages and walks of life.

A strong start, guitar-driven “Die Alone” displays Ingrid’s wide vocal range—from her low, breathy words “Don’t be a fool girl, tell him you love him/ Don’t be a fool girl, you’re not above him,” to a birdlike transition into the epiphany, “Now I know I can’t love anyone but you/ You make me think that I won’t die alone.” The track exudes a bad-girl vibe, with empowering guitar chords and her low, mellow voice as she shortly quips the words of the first verse. This song was even featured in an episode of Oxygen’s “The Bad Girls Club.”

“Keep Breathing” is a haunting reminder of the days where we feel swallowed by the world. With words and a melody that strike the heart, Ingrid shows the time, effort, and emotion a relationship takes out of a person in “I want to believe in something more than you and me,” and “All we can do is keep breathing.” Piano instrumentals and her quiet, yet clear, voice reflects how tiresome it is to wish for change. It builds up with a drum cadence as her voice gains more energy, and for a moment, we see hope in a bad situation.

“Overboard” starts with power and is upbeat with Keane-esque guitars. Ingrid reaches her listeners with a story of growing up, becoming fiercely independent, falling in love, and trusting someone enough to give them a piece of her heart.

Perhaps the most recognized, “The Way I Am” is an addicting, sweet song that displays the evolution of young love all the way to deep love at an old age. Although funny, Ingrid’s voice is so honest and sincere as she promises, “I’ll buy you Rogaine if you start losing all your hair/ Sew on patches to all you tear.” The chorus, “Cuz I love the way you say good morning/ And you take me the way I am,” is sung with such simplicity and minimum instrumentals that it’s hard to not get teary eyed.

In “Breakable,” Ingrid links the vulnerability of the human heart both emotionally and physically, saying that it is only a cage of rib bones that acts as a shield, and how fragile and easy they are to crack. The piano creates a rhythm is waltz-able. The lyrics have a violent quality to them, while her voice is both powerful and innocent as she reminds us that we are all “Breakable, breakable, breakable girls and boys.”

Overall, Ingrid’s ethereal voice and subjects of love, growing up, vulnerability, betrayal, and independence make this a superb album. Her music gives off a lot of personality, and she succeeds in relating to virtually every audience. “Girls and Boys” is a definitely an album you won’t soon forget.
Visit her website at www.ingridmichaelson.com

P.S.- She plays tonight at The Parish with Matt Nathanson at 8:00!