Ingrid Andress: ‘Good Person’ – Album Review

Ingrid Andress’ brand new album, Good Person is out now, August 26th on all streaming platforms. Take a listen and read our full review below.

With the type of voice that immediately pierces through to a listener’s soul, Ingrid Andress has become one of Nashville’s most consistent singer-songwriters. With her left-of-center style she frequently colors outside the lines of typical country music in the best way possible. That continues on her sophomore album, Good Person, out now.

Featuring thirteen new tracks, including “Wishful Drinking,” the chart-climbing duet with Sam Hunt, her new offering is an impactful introspection of the best kind. “When people describe something as an adventure, it’s all fun and exciting,” says Andress in a statement. “But if it’s a real adventure, there’s some struggle in there, too—it’s not all fun new things, there can be some dark days. But the contrast of that is what I enjoy. Making Good Person was one of the most painful processes I’ve ever been through, but it was also the brightest and the best. It’s crazy how you can experience both those things at the same time. I didn’t think I could be more open, but I guess I am. Just when you think you’ve exposed it all, you see that you only just cracked it.”

Following in the footsteps of her critically-acclaimed debut, Lady Like, was not an easy feat, but there’s no sophomore slump here. Instead, Andress is as vulnerable and introspective as ever on the co-produced project, which features a combination of sweeping ballads and clever up-tempos. “I realized how scared a lot of people are to push boundaries and how I am not, that’s my bread and butter,” she says. “Isn’t that the goal, to discover new things? What are we doing here if we’re not trying to make new art?”

For Andress, much of the album was written when the world shut down during the pandemic, allowing her to look inward as she realized, “I wasn’t happy and [that] I needed to fix it.” This theme weaves its way through the album, which often finds Andress looking inward to deal with a broken heart and moving on from a toxic relationship.

From the opening chords of “Good Person,” the album’s title track, it’s clear listeners are in for a journey of the best kind. On the ethereal song, Andress looks both inwards and outwards, comparing herself to others as she grapples with the definition of being a good person. In a world that’s so full of judgment and comparison, the song deals with one of humanity’s most common struggles.

“’Cause I’ve cheated and lied // And made people cry // But I pray for the ones that I love every night // And I’ve shattered some hearts // And my thoughts get dark // But I’d stop for a stranger who’s falling apart // I’m still learning // Good, good person”

One of the album’s immediate standouts is “Yearbook,” a heart-wrenching ballad that has her observing a relationship that’s been long-standing, but may no longer make sense. On the sparse ballad, she looks at her parents and their 40-year-long relationship, from high school sweethearts to passing ships in the night.

“And I guess they stayed together just because they wrote forever // On the inside of the cover by their names // They were in love you can read it I guess // I’ve just only seen it in a red ink heart around my father’s face // They’ve lived in the same house for almost 40 years now // But the last day they were on the same page // Was in a yearbook”

On “Seeing Someone Else” and “How Honest Do You Want Me to Be?,” Andress continues to be blatantly honest in the best way. The former, an almost teasing track, has her challenging her lover that the person she wants to be with is a former version of herself. “And if you’re honest with yourself // You know you’re hanging onto history,” She sings here. 

Meanwhile, on “How Honest Do You Want Me to Be?” She struggles with the idea of being truly honest with someone who may only think they want the truth.

“‘Cause when you water down whiskey, it gets easier to drink // And a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine sweeter // You say you want the truth, but the truth, baby, it might sting // So, how honest do you want me to be?

“No Choice” is one of the album’s most striking moments, a building and sweeping ballad that shows Andress cracking with emotion as she grapples with a relationship ending. The heartbreak is apparent here as the singer shares one of her most vulnerable performances to date, sure to stop listeners in their tracks.

Andress spoke to Rolling Stone about the track, revealing, “That was a very emotional day. It was in a moment when I realized that the person I was with, it was just not healthy for me. It was really weighing me down when I should have been thriving. That day was just really difficult…Honestly, I wanted to take out the crying part because I don’t like crying in front of people. But I was like, ‘You know what? This album is all about being vulnerable so let’s just go there.’ It’s terrifying to do that because you’re opening up a very, very hidden part of you to the entire world. There would be no other way for me to really get across how painful that moment was without being true to that moment. It’s really scary, but at the same time, it’s more about the art to me. I’m just a vessel. What I am singing about and crying about has happened to so many other people and the goal is to make them feel less alone and more understood.”

“Pain” deals with the same toxic relationship, melding an old-school vibe with heartbreaking lyrics. Andress admits the song was inspired by Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain” and the classic sounds of the 60’s. “I love contrasting older sounds with modern flair,” says Andress. “I wondered if there was a way that could live in the country space—how throwback can we get, but also make it country, but still fit my voice?”

“Feels Like This” and “Falling for You” offer moments of hope and new love amidst sadness. Andress admits that the latter was written with her band in mind, so they’d have a reprieve from the sad songs, allowing for a fun moment during her live shows. On the building up-tempo, she muses about the moment of falling for someone new, and the hope that it never stops. “I hope that I never stop falling for you,” She sings. “I hope that your kiss always feels like it’s new.”

The official album ends with “Things That Haven’t Happened Yet,” a sparse and intimate ballad that has the singer longing for what has been and what is yet to come. “I’m only twenty-nine, but I’ve died a hundred times,” She begins, immediately enrapturing listeners.

“I learned so much in this chapter of my life—and I’m still so young, so I’m terrified of what else I’m going to learn on the next album,” she says. “Ending with that song was a very intentional reminder to myself. ‘You think you’ve got it figured out now, so you’re worrying about the next thing.’ Don’t do that, there’s no point. It’s all going to happen the way it’s going to happen, whether you want it to or not. The journey isn’t over.”

For Ingrid Andress, the journey is far from over, and we’re certainly here for it. If Good Person is any indication, it’s certain to be a beautiful – and occasionally bumpy – ride.

Good Person is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.