Ingrid Michaelson is that rare breed of performer who can come across as both humble and incredibly self-assured at the same time – without it being obnoxious. Indeed, the woman has grounds for both.
Already the stuff of MySpace legend (Michaelson released her first album directly to the social-networking site, where it was discovered by an artist licensing agent), she has grown a significant presence in a mere two years. Beginning with licensing three of her songs to Grey’s Anatomy, her works have appeared on numerous television shows and her story featured in most national news outlets.
All that aside, one could be forgiven for wondering whether she’s the real deal – a true artist, besides a marketing phenomenon? Based on her recent show at Neumo’s, the answer would seem to be a solid yes. A solid songwriter, Michaelson creates true pop gems exploring the human condition while retaining a broad appeal. Catchy and upbeat, despite often turbulent content matter, she paints a beautiful aural picture. Likewise, her touring band stands in as perfect complement to their lead’s quirky (almost too perfectly quirky) stage presence. Besides choreographed fist jabs and a seeming dress code (the whole group was wearing sweaters and woolen hats, despite the warm club), the group provided perfect instrumentation as well as wonderful backing vocals. In particular, the voice of guitarist and backing vocalist Allie Moss was a perfect complement to Michaelson; with one’s eyes closed, it was hard to tell the difference between the two voices, which were often in gorgeous harmony.
Ingrid Michaelson would seem to be a bona-fide pop starlet in the making. If you haven’t already seen her in a small club, go soon; it’s likely your time to do so will be limited by what will doubtless be her rapid rise.
