Editor’s Pick: Ingrid Michaelson “Human Again”

AAA “It-Girl” Ingrid Michaelson ditches her longtime collaborator and takes a big left turn in an effort to grow musically. Can’t begrudge her for that, can we?

What to do if you’re Ingrid Michaelson.

The super-clever-funny girl that the AAA and Hot AC radio formats have come to know and love seems at a crossroads.

Known for simple, often ukelele-driven pop songs with BIG hooks, Michaelson’s fanbase should be much bigger than the boutique that is adult rock.

Throw in the risk that, if she were to remain that ukelele playing prankster, she might well get lost among the growing crowd of sound-a-likes that has cropped up in her wake.

And heck, maybe as an artist she just wanted try something different — such as replacing a bit of clever with a bit of deeper. With Human Again, she may have been in no mood to make another version of the first four albums. And that’s laudable.

In hiring veteran producer David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Shawn Colvin, Regina Spektor, Lana Del Rey) over previous partner Dan Romer, the die was cast.

Unfortunately, Kahne did not seem to have a game plan beyond making sure it didn’t sound like an Ingrid Michaelson album. When compared to her light-tight-and-bright previous work, Human Again largely comes off as over-produced, with everything from bombastic electronic drum kits to an overabundance of strings that, at times, literally overpower Michaelson’s fantastic voice. At other times, such as on the track I’m Through, the strings and vocal reverb take her dangerously close to a Broadway show tunes production value.

Yet there are standouts. Among them is Ribbons, which finally gives us a taste of the clever that we’ve come to expect from Michaelson. The song is thisclose to perfection, but again Kahne can’t resist a soaring chorus that feels mismatched with the rest of the song.

Another strong track is the lead single at radio, Ghost. Ghost may take a few spins before the stealthy hooks emerge. But once they do, the song is hard to get out of your head.

Looking very forward to seeing Ingrid play these songs live. Her tour starts April 9 in Montreal.