21 for 21: #18—k.d. lang, "Ingénue"

Not Brent Spiner

I don't even really remember how I came to possess this CD; I may have bought it myself, but it may have ended up in my stuff after my last romantic breakup before I met my wife. In either case, my #18 favorite CD in my collection is k.d. lang's "Ingénue" from 1992.

Her biggest single from the album, "Constant Craving," won her a Grammy Award in 1993. The album itself was her biggest commercial hit, making it as high as #18 (how ironic!) on the Billboard Hot 200 charts. "Constant Craving" was also in high rotation on MTV, which is how I first came across it.

While the single is my favorite song from the album (it's an amazing bit of pop music craft), the entire disc is an absolute masterpiece. The title reveals exactly what you would expect to find inside—an intimate set of subdued yet passionate songs accompanied an eclectic mix of instruments—piano, guitar, violin, accordion, vibraphone—but at no time detracting from her silky, sultry voice.

lang was always a pioneer, and like yesterday's band Toad the Wet Sprocket, about a decade ahead of her time. She was first associated with country music because pop didn't know what to do with her, but she was also one of the first musical artists to be honest and open about her sexuality—she's (spoiler alert!) lesbian—and unapologetically androgynous in her appearance. I always thought she should have appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Data's twin sister.

Separated at birth?

The whole album feels like it was recorded in an obscure French café, and it's another one of the CDs I've used on many occasions as background music for fiction writing (which is going to be a common theme on this countdown). There are few voices in music to this day that can compete with k.d. lang's. If you're not already a fan, give this album a listen. Here's a sample: