Be OK

Album Review

As the Hotel Café became a nationally recognized launching pad for songwriters in 2008, Ingrid Michaelson stood out amongst the venue's native artists, having already established her credibility through licensing deals and MySpace playbacks. Her second independent release, Girls and Boys, made waves one year prior when it toppled the iTunes charts, eventually selling over 740,000 digital copies of its lead single thanks to promotional help from Old Navy commercials and Grey's Anatomy episodes. Arriving in 2008, Be OK furthers her Norah Jones-gone-pop approach with 11 tracks. This isn't a proper studio effort — rather, it's a benefit project (with proceeds going to cancer research) that takes its material from live performances, rarities, and several new tracks. Filled with handclaps and breezy guitar chords, "Be OK" is the album's flagship song as it bookends the set list with two different versions — one filled with harmonies, keyboards, and percussion, and the other sticking close to the acoustic formula. Michaelson's voice is strong enough to carry such tracks alone, but her melodies sound strongest when flanked by buoyant harmonies, whether they're provided by the singer's own double-tracked voice or contributions from her touring bandmates. "The Chain," a longtime live favorite and perhaps the best song on this disc, even careens into an emotional three-person round, utilizing the harmony approach better than any Michaelson track since "The Way I Am." She leads the pack, advising her estranged lover to "glide away on soapy heels" while her melodies are echoed by Bess Rogers and Allie Moss. It's a simple song, but its passion and presentation make all the difference — a telltale sign of a songwriter who knows how to breathe new life into a veteran genre.