As opposed to her earlier albums, this is Ingrid's first release not bearing the Flying Neutrinos name. Instead of promulgating her previous jazzy retro devotion to Olden Days, this time around Ingrid is a thoroughly modern rockin' woman, bathed in sunshine, sweet harmony and salty kisses, backed by an excellent aggregation of New Orleans musicians (guitarists John Fohl and Bert Cotton, bassist Matt Perrine, drummer Gerald French, trumpeters Duke Heitger and John Erik Kellso, the Bonerama trombone section, her longtime collaborator/cousin/trombonist Todd Londagin and a string section consisting of cellist William Schultz, violinist Amy Leonard and violaist Amy Thiaville). Ingrid wrote eight of the 12 songs, their themes overwhelmingly concerned with the bliss of true love. Imagine a happy, heroin-free Billie Holiday on the white sands of the Redneck Riviera with a chilled thermos of Cosmopolitans in her picnic basket and you've got the general idea. A very tasteful taste of Chet Atkins emanates from the undertow and suddenly, violins flutter above the dunes. The arrival of Chris Isaak hanging ten on a surfboard would not be surprising. Put this disc on the next time you contemplate suicide on some dreary winter's day and you'll change your mind. The songs are so bright and cheery a dab of SPF 32 sunscreen might be required. As Ingrid sings, "Free with the stars in the sky and that moon, life is full of surprise-we can be as we want it to be you and me..."

Life is indeed full of surprises, including Ingrid's slightly disco-y "Rhinestone Cowboy," Glen Campbell's l977 hit. As Ingrid says, people either love it or hate it. I think it's fine to dig up ancient material-even corny material-if you renovate it with a sense of irony. I love Dolly Parton's new bluegrass version of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" because the overall weirdness level is about as high as one of Dolly's wigs. But Ingrid plays "Rhinestone Cowboy" straight. This is a bit troubling. I worry that she might start tackling Barry Manilow next.

-Bunny Matthews, Offbeat Mag.. New Orleans

Gambit Weekly
Ingrid Lucia
Fortune
(Independent)

Ingrid Lucia is known nationally as the swing singer with the Betty Boop voice, but Fortune is our first encounter with her inner songwriter. Unlike the selections on her first two albums, most of the songs here are originals. As she relies less on her band, the Flying Neutrinos, and more on her own creativity, it turns out Lucia's a competent composer of Americana pop. Her playful songs about puppy love and carefree days sound like forgotten hits from the mid-20th century.

While most of her older repertoire errs on the side of swing, with Fortune, Lucia wears her penchant for Patsy Cline country pop right on her sleeve. "All My Life" has a slow country sway to it, complete with lazy banjo embellishment, and "Cowboy" is a fast, horn-heavy adventure with a Mexican feel. The Western theme continues with a cutesy cover of "Rhinestone Cowboy" Diettinger

Read this Q&A with Ingrid at http://www.bigeasy.com/gossip/index.shtml