Album Notes

Eleventh of eleven. The jungles of east St. Paul. Endless darkness of Minnesota winters. We don’t really know where the gift of songwriting, or musicianship, comes from, but Kristin Mooney certainly has both.

She was bombarded with a wide variety of music from her brothers & sisters during the era of the late 60’s and 70’s. This may have had something to do with it, as she has clearly absorbed, filtered & condensed some of this music in hers.

Kristin started as a singer & interpreter of songs, developing her voice & an appreciation of how a good song works before venturing to write her own. Patience has paid off.

As both a full participant in & a reticent observer of life's events & relationships, she has much to draw from as a writer. Her songs have a three dimensional quality — a broadness that is very satisfying. Personal & universal, with a cinematic vibe both sonically & lyrically.

Her new cd “Hydroplane” is an achingly familiar yet surprisingly fresh sounding recording of her new songs — a record beautifully unencumbered by attachment to any musical movement or scene. It has a healthy respect for what has come before without being in the least bit “retro” or imitative. Good musicians have always been attracted to Kristin and her to them. The band she has assembled for “Hydroplane” are exceptional and together they have created a gorgeous record. Whatever the story, the history, influences —whatever paths led to this point, it is a high point for Kristin Mooney, & well worth a good listen.

“Hydroplane” is Kristin’s third cd. It was co-produced by Kristin & drummer/percussionist Jay Bellerose (Robert Plant/Allison Krause, T-Bone Burnett). The core band are Jay, Jennifer Condos (Bass — Ray Lamontagne, Ryan Adams, Joe Henry), Eric Heywood (Guitars & Pedal Steel — Son Volt, Ray Lamontagne, Richard Buckner) & Patrick Warren (Keyboards — Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann). Ryan Freeland was the mixing engineer (Aimee Mann, Joe Henry, Jakob Dylan).

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quotes from previous cd reviews...

"...an album that's earthy & exotic, organic & alluring....her smoky, soulful vocals wrap around her dark-hued songs of romance." -No Depression

"The musical backing is of the moody, late night variety, while the lyrics are snapshots of American life- character studies with tremendous vividness." -Tucson Weekly

"Mooney's cinematic songs are like haunting mini-movies examining the thorns & promised rewards of relationships. Beautiful." -Pasadena Weekly

"Matching a poet's nuance with a voice like liquid smoke, pop singer-songwriter Mooney studs this late-night mood-setter with thoughtful references to cinematic mile-stones."-Fade In

"...she boasts a wonderfully immersive, cosmic American genre blend..." -Daily News

"A gifted singer with an eye focused on the darker side of domestic life. The end result is futuristic west coast country unafraid to fuse the traditional with the unexpected." -Pulse

"The songs are soulful & even sometimes jazzy." -Minneapolis Star Tribune

"A savagely overlooked mellow roots-pop singer with ties to Semisonic who we've been hoping to see since her understated debut "Living Alone". -The Rage (Nashville)

www.kristinmooney.com