Ingrid Lucia, St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (Independent)

On America’s Next Top Model, Tyra Banks tells the young model-wannabes to smile with their eyes. The contestants pretend they get it, but they never do, and neither does anybody watching because Tyra demonstrates the idea with a look that is the same as the one from moments before. But I get the concept because Ingrid Lucia smiles with her voice. Whether on the bluesy “That’s My Desire,” the swinging “You Made Me Love You” or the torchy “You Go to My Head,” there’s a good-natured undercurrent, one that suggests that she’s enjoying herself, regardless of the song. That doesn’t impair her ability to sell a torch song–a good thing since St. Valentine’s Day Massacre relies on them–but it minimizes the gravity of the sad songs. That smile in her voice suggests more complex emotions at points, while on other occasions it simply lightens the mood. But the flip side is that the love songs are extra-buoyant, so much so that Lucia sounds almost giddy at times, which is necessary. To understand why people suffer through heartbreak, you have to know how intoxicating love can be.