For kd lang, "Ingenue" represents that supreme moment in her illustrious recording career. All of her innate gifts as a true music artist - poetic lyric-writing , communicative ability to breathe life into any song, and above all, her glorious inimitable voice - are enshrined in this album. "Ingenue" is a flawless gem! Casual listeners who buy "Ingenue" solely for the reason that "Constant Craving" (kd's world-wide big hit) is in it, and then grumble that the rest of the CD does not measure up to this one song, are missing the point of the album BIG-TIME.

"Ingenue", like many of kd's other albums, should never be perceived as a Madonna-esque or Britney-esque album --- chockful of over-the-top boopy songs with calculated catchy hooks which ensnare your ears and attention very quickly before losing your interest just as quickly. No. It is far more subtle and rewarding than that... "Ingenue" is one of those works of music-art which seem "bland" and unprepossessing upon the first few listens, but which slowly and surely encroaches upon your inner world until that day comes when you fully recognize kd's genius in each and every song.

When that blessed day dawns on you, dear kd-initiate, you will cease to regard "Ingenue" as an album containing nine bland, uncatchy songs leading to "Constant Craving", you will come to regard it as a flawless ten-movement vocal symphony which expounds on the profoundity of Love in its varied manifestations. You will also discover that this beautiful musical expression is achieved with a peerless efficiency: there is not a single superfluous/extraneous note sung or play in the entire album, every silky note and nuance emanating from kd's lips has its own niche in "Ingenue's" entire musical structure. And the cumulative result of it all is an album which boasts a tight musical cogency, so unified that the ten songs flow irrevocably and smoothly into one another - like rivers merging into a great ocean of sonic splendour.

It is for this reason that I refuse to single out any particular track on Ingenue for special mention. That would be akin to ripping out a thread from a fine brocade tapestry. Learn to appreciate "Ingenue" in this manner; if this is beyond you, I'd say you should leave kd aside and return to the ephemeral musical world of the Britneys and what-have-yous.

In a nutshell, "Ingenue" is one of only two albums I recognize as flawless works of modern music-art, the other being Sade's "Love Deluxe" (coincidentally, also released in the same year as "Ingenue"). This piece de resistance from KD will endure forever in the hearts of all those who appreciate the craft of fine musicianship.


THE VOICE   June 13, 2000
R. Penola (NYC, NY United States)
30 out of 32 found this review helpful

With k.d. lang, it is all about that voice - a spectacular alto belt with soul and tenderness and clarity and perfect pitch and tone - when she goes for those sustained notes, you are thrilled down to your toes. This album, featuring her songwriting skills (some are better than others; all are worth listening to over and over), showcases that voice in all its glory, matched beat for beat with luscious production values and interesting instrumentation. The album has a moody, depressive tone, yet is immensely enjoyable in its darkness. Appealing to all of us not enamored with k.d.'s more folksy/country/twangy efforts, this album is torchy, jazzy and pop-infused. The stunning Constant Craving truly infects you; it gets inside you with its perfect blend of melody, layered vocals and lyric. Cannot wait for the Invincible Summer album!


Torch Song Triumph   December 1, 2002
Pieter (Johannesburg)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

Here k d lang turns into a stylish torch singer with a cool, subdued vocal style inspired by late 50's/early 60's singers like Patsy Cline, Connie Francis and Peggy Lee. Now and then she even veers into jazzy realm as on the elegant Ms Chatelaine. This set mainly consists of intelligent ballads like Save Me, The Mind Of Love and Wash Me Clean, but her consummate artistry is best displayed on the two stand-out tracks Still Thrives This Love with its compelling hook, and Season Of Hollow Soul which reminds me of the finer moments of the band Everything But The Girl. Ingenue is excellent in its genre but probably an acquired taste for most.


Timeless and Beautiful.   September 15, 2006
Bachelier (Ile de France)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

This album was released in March 1992. That is now 15 years since it was recorded.

I put it in the player in the car the other day after over 10 years of not listening to it, and was struck by how lush, fresh, timeless, and contemporary it was. More than any other album of the 90s, this one is standing the test of time for brilliance, musicianship, vocals, arrangements and sheer endurance of enjoyment.

k.d. lang's vocals here are haunting, memorable, and ineffebly beautiful. While she does not engage in pipes one-upsmanship in high register notes (Maria Carey can have that territory), her sustain and emphasis is dead on: laden with emotion and conviction. For these are her songs and lyrics expressed in a deeply personal and revealing way.

Much is made of Miss lang's public coyness and understated frankness concerning her personal life, and more than a few of these lyrics allude to emotional and intimate difficulties with immediately unsuspected subjects. But this ambiguity and frankness in these lyrics is so real, so felt, that we hang on her every note for it is hypnotic in how deeply personal and real they are, for this is a rare artist sharing art, person, and truth all in the same breath. k. d. lang's gift to us all is in her singing such beautiful songs so honestly.

But the songs here are not simply light backdrops for a vocal vehicle. These are arangements that Nelson Riddle would be proud of, with every instrumental voice contributing nested hooks without overwhelming. There is distinctive slide and steel guitar work, precise and ethereal mandolin, a full range of precussion that you forget is there, even forget is precusssion because it is so melodic, and a restrained use of strings.

I am a complete fan of k.d. lang, but INGENUE is an obvious stand out album for a wide audience. Like Sinatra's "Songs for Swingin Lovers" this is an album that is a high point of a briliant musical career. Anyone who does not enjoy this album simply is incapable of enjoying excellence in musical artisanry. This is a perfect gift for anyone, for it will give great pleasure to a wide audience.


An overlooked masterpiece!   July 6, 2002
Robert Ortiz (The Southwest)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

This is an excellent album that finds k.d. Lang at her very best! k.d.'s dynamic voice is definitely the main attraction of this album, as she maximizes it to convey the intensity of songs that are introspective without sounding trite or syrupy. A bevy of musical instruments including the accordion, violin, vibraphone, steel guitar and mandolin compliment k.d. and enhance the quality of the songs without detracting from her beautiful voice. The standout single is "Constant Craving" but songs like "The Mind of Love", "Miss Chatelaine", "Wash Me Clean" and "So It Shall Be" add great depth and dimension to the album and are essential to its atmosphere. This is easily her best album that becomes more compelling with each subsequent listening. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!