For the vast majority of radio listeners, Ingrid Michaelson will sound familiar — If not for her name, then by the popularity of her songs.

“The Way I Am” is one of those songs. It’s from her 2006 debut album “Girls and Boys” and the song is one of her catchiest tunes, for better or worse. And as it has been echoing for years now, it might be the later sense for some listeners.

Her newest album “Lights Out” hit shelves Tuesday. The single “Girls Chase Boys” has played on the

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radio since February, and, in true Michaelson fashion, is more than likely ingrained within the minds of many listeners. “Girls,” the heart of “Lights,” presents Michaelson’s catchiest chorus since “Way.”

Michaelson’s “Lights” plays in a confidently catchy manner. It challenges pop music to be more saccharine, if that’s even possible. The songs rarely come down from a sugar high.

“Lights Out” works with the same formulas Michaelson has used before, though here she proves she can certainly create an album using this technique again and again. Yes, it is

repetitious, as Michaelson rarely takes her flamboyance down a notch. Still, the tracks sound pleasant.

Why listen to this album? At this point you might have heard a good portion of it, and it won’t harm you to check out the rest. Chances are your friends already know some of these songs, so get with it.

But those with quick gag reflexes beware — a sweet tooth is required to stomach the album.

Jake Saunders can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter @saundersfj or

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by phone at 536-3311 ext. 254.