NYCS First Impression: Ingrid Andress ‘Lady Like’

Since bursting onto the scene with her unique brand of piano-infused country, Ingrid Andress has been one of the genre’s most exciting and fastest rising stars. Today (March 27), she releases her debut album, Lady Like, which shows no sign of the songstress slowing down. From the album’s opening notes of “Bad Advice” through its closing title track, it’s abundantly clear why Andress has repeatedly been named one of the genre’s brightest new artists, including one of our 2020 Artists to Watch.

From the opening notes of the endlessly catchy, “Bad Advice,” Andress is in full control, her talent on display. The lyrics catch you immediately, as she begins, “I drove down to Trader Joe’s/ Straight to aisle five/ Got a bottle of Merlot/ ‘Cause my friend told me/ If I drink the whole thing/ Then I wouldn’t think about you/ And after glass two/ Well, I’d be brand new.” In just a few bars, the tone for the album is set. Andress is blunt and brilliant here, each song co-written by her, with lyrics that tell stories in a way rarely seen in country music. Here, she’s magically a perfect mix of brilliant yet relatable, humorous yet poignant.

While the album kicks off with an up-tempo, Andress shines on the ballads, akin to a modern country version of Sara Bareilles. This is evident on the achingly beautiful “More Hearts Than Mine” and her unique take on defining a relationship in “We’re Not Friends.” On the former, she plans to take a new love to meet her family, warning him that ending their relationship will affect her family more than her. “If I bring you home to Mama/ I guess I better worn you/ She falls in love a little faster than I do,” She warns. “If we break up, I’ll be fine/ But you’ll be breaking more hearts than mine.”

“We’re Not Friends” tells the story of a couple who desperately needs to define their relationship, but simply calls themselves friends. “Friends are something that we were/ Before me sleeping in your shirt,” Andress admits. “But baby we’re past that now/ Friends don’t do the things we do/ Friends don’t use the words we use/ Yeah, friends can just hang out.”

Another of the album’s highlights is “Life of the Party,” which shows Andress putting on a brave face despite living with a broken heart. Here it’s 3 am and she’s still going strong, while no one knows that she’s hurting. She’s the life of the party here to hide her broken heart, and it’s all too familiar a sentiment.

For Ingrid Andress, Lady Like is a beautifully cohesive piece of work that every music fan would be remiss in ignoring. The only downside here is the album’s length, caught somewhere between an EP and a full-length release with only eight tracks, many of which have been previously released. However, the eight tracks that Andress has given us are a beautiful collection of songs and stories that are sure to cement her place in the musical landscape among the likes of music’s big names.

NYCS Picks:
1. More Hearts than Mine
2. Life of the Party
3. We’re Not Friends

Lady Like Track List
1. “Bad Advice” – Ingrid Andress, Derrick Southerland, Jamie Moore
2. “Both” – Ingrid Andress, Derrick Southerland, Jordan Schmidt
3. “We’re Not Friends” – Ingrid Andress, AJ Pruis, Derrick Southerland, Nate Cyphert
4. “The Stranger” – Ingrid Andress, Ryan Lafferty
5. “Anything But Love” – Ingrid Andress, Zach Abend, Jamie Floyd
6. “More Hearts Than Mine” – Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland
7. “Life of the Party” – Ingrid Andress, Jason Yik Nam Wu, Jesse Thomas
8. “Lady Like” – Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland

To keep up with Ingrid Andress, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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

 

 

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