Ingrid Michaelson

Even if you don’t recognize the name or face, chances are good you’ve heard Ingrid Michaelson. She made a big first impression with her lilting single “The Way I Am” (“Cuz I-I-I-I, lo-o-o-ove, the way you call me ‘baby’…”), propelling her to “it girl of ’08” status. Unfortunately, it led to Be OK, a B-side-and-rarities disc with a noble purpose—benefiting standup2cancer.org—that’s undermined by self-importance. “Be OK” (the song) is bouncy and uplifting; two versions of it bookend a collection of covers, live tracks and songs not on her debut album … for good reason: None is very good. She warbles her way through “Over The Rainbow,” “Can’t Help Falling In Love” and a radio performance of “The Way I Am.” She includes a concert cut of “The Chain” … but it’s her own song, not Stevie Nicks’ (sigh). Kudos to Ingrid for good intentions, and for the single with its bubbly refrain: “I just want to be OK, be OK, be OK / I just want to be OK today.” It’s just too bad she didn’t shoot for better.