Ingrid Michaelson wins hearts and minds | Audrey Ellard Walsh

 November 15^th’s Pavilion gig marked the final stop on Ingrid Michaelson’s UK and Ireland Tour. As the last tour for her Human Again album, Michaelson certainly bid her fans a heartfelt goodbye.The New York native who shot to fame through TV commercials and prime-time shows such as One Tree Hill and Grey’s Anatomy has come a long way from promoting herself on MySpace. One of the few singer-songwriter types to transcend the indie to pop market, the popularity of Michaelson’s brand of catchy folk-pop speaks for itself. You probably know her without even realising it- you may recognise “Winter Song” from the O2 Christmas ad and have certainly heard Cheryl Cole’s “Parachute” which Michaelson penned in 2010.     Human Again, Michaelson’s 5^th album, has received critical acclaim since its release in January. Debuting at #5 in the Billboard charts, it marks the peak of Ingrid’s commercial success to date. Described by critics as “All Grown Up” is certainly a more mature release from the artist. Moving away from the many ukulele based ditties in her past she claims that when her father asked her “where are all the cute songs?” she said “there aren’t any”.Entertaining and endearing her audience with anecdotes of her musical inspiration and her experience on the tour, Ingrid won over a chatty crowd to rapture at her passionate lyrics and soaring vocals. The cutesy classics made an appearance, with “Maybe”, “Be OK” and “The Way I Am” drawing loud reaction from the crowd but on the whole, the set list reflected the new direction in Michaelson’s writing. Though she qualified her darker music saying that she didn’t need to feel depressed to write a sad song, or happy to write a happy song “When I’m depressed I eat ice-cream, I don’t write”, it was plain to see that her new music comes from somewhere very tangible- perhaps reflecting from her more settled space as a happily married woman (Michaelson is wed to fellow musician Greg Laswell). “Men of Snow” is a hauntingly sad song, fit for the season while she told us that “Ghost” provoked her mother to ask if she was “ok” after hearing it.The fairy-lit ambience in the Pavilion was a perfect setting for the New Yorker’s acoustic set. While her impression of the Irish accent (“potatoes”) jarred, she truly had the audience eating out of the palm of her hand. Her off-mic version of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love” was a real treat, with absolute silence from the crowd broken only by co-ordinated “my, my, my”s from the floor.While the audience was probably 90:10 women to men, I heard dutiful boyfriends comment that they had enjoyed the concert, Ingrid’s energy and talent impressing new and seasoned fans alike.It is clear that Michaelson is indeed becoming a more “grown up” artist, capable not only of technically impressive music, but also of deeply moving lyrical work. Her new writing may not be as “cute” but it is certainly more “real”. Be it her relationship with Laswell or merely growing up, Michaelson’s music while different has become much more relatable. Losing none of her girly appeal, she’s showing a more “womanly” side that surely bodes well for her future writing ventures.