Kristy Hanson-Already Gone (Review)

Already Gone starts off with the song "Comfort" a short but sweet song. It's very quick in it's tempo, and it works very well. It really sets the pace for the whole album.

"Swansong" is a bit darker, and very bass heavy, but Hanson's voice shines through. Really beautiful orchestration. The guitar sounds like it's a whale song.

Both the first two songs deal with either falling out of love or ending love. It feels very personal.

"Already Gone" deals with the same topic. The lyrical content early on is somewhat a downer, but Hanson really puts a lot of effort and passion into each song. Her voice is very dominating, which is usually good, but the music itself is so beautiful it's almost a shame she has such a powerful voice.

"Wake Up" deals with Hanson as, you guessed it, a woman who has lost love. It's gone from being passionate to solemn. It's a beautiful song but how many downer songs can you take?

In "Careful", Hanson is just pitying herself. "You are so much cooler than I'll ever be/You've got it all figured out/I will never be cool enough to live like I am/living without a doubt" Where "Comfort" and "Swansong" were songs of strengths, the album has made Hanson to look very weak. The song does, however, have a very neat keyboard interlude, and sounds almost like a steel drum. It's a cool effect.

"It's Not Over" is a fun song. Hanson makes up for all the mopiness, though she keeps the mopey lyrics. The double bass is quick and keeps it loose, and it's very dancable. A great song.

"Let Me Out of this House" goes right back into the depressing lyrical content. It wouldn't be such a problem if Hanson didn't have such a passionate voice (I never thought that could be a bad thing). She commands attention to what she's singing about, and it's a broken record.

Each of the songs are good on their own accord, but with them being in a row together like this, it's just a very depressing album.

"Who Can Say?" is a very demented little number. The bass sets a bizarre tone. And you don't know what it's about until... "Woke up today/with a big smile on my face/no one can hurt me/I'll just say that I don't care/Woke up today/it was as good as any day/and I don't miss him/it was like he was never there" OH GREAT. ANOTHER SONG ABOUT HOW A GUY LEFT HER. Christ, is it any wonder? When she's not putting herself down, she moping about how her love left her. Enough already! Get a hobby!

"Peace of Mind" is basically keeping the tone. Take all the songs from this album, throw them in a blender, suck out the flavor, and you get "Peace of Mind".

Oh, god. "Packed My Bags" is a double depresser. Not only does she sing about losing a love (SURPRISE) but also how she can't find success or happiness in L.A. It's the perfect song for the album to end on. Just reestablishes the depressing motif of the whole damn album.

Clocking in at 29:29, the album is short, and ends before you throw the CD player at the wall. It's a personal album, and Hanson really gets her feelings across, but the problem is the only feeling she has is that of depression about men leaving her. Don't listen to this album all at once, it's just not good for the soul. In fact, you can skip the last two tracks altogether, they're just filler. It's a shame too. It's clear Hanson has a bright mind and good musical sense, but her lyrics and her depressing sound are just the pits.

Recommended tracks: "Comfort", "Swansong", "It's Not Over"