KRISTY HANSON

Into the Quiet

2010-05-05

Claiming influences such as Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and a vast assortment of other notable female artists, Kristy Hanson's desire is that at the end of the day, what she'd rather sound like is "me." While influences do play a part here, the Los Angeles based Hanson is most certainly herself on this her fourth full-length release. While folk-pop might be the best description here - there's plenty of grit on this recording too. On the guitar-driven rocker - "Wrong Way," the singer/songwriter belts out "that's the wrong way sign, baby that's the wrong way." A couple of songs that preach encouragement despite tough times are the softer "Too Much" and the faster-paced "Dig." On the former, the nice melody is coupled with the songstress singing about coming back from reaching rock-bottom: "I'm so full of hope, too much hope." On the latter, the theme is similar as the artist encouragingly sings about digging out of whatever hole you might find yourself in. The album ends with the pleasant, soft and heartfelt title track "Into the Quiet." In the end, while a few more "rockers" would have been nice, Hanson puts together a nice blend of the fast and the slow for a mostly successful recording. Her voice is great and her songwriting is mostly spot-on. If you're a fan of the folk-pop genre, Hanson won't disappoint. ~Reviewed by Jeff Bouma

Quick Links:

• Kristy Hanson Official Site