Gavin Magazine (August 1996)

KRISTEN BARRY - The Beginning. The Middle. The End. (Virgin)

- Max Tolkoff

It seem like there's been a glut of female singer/songwriter/musicians in the last few years, but...so what? My attitude is that it's nice to see talented people get a shot. So Virgin snaps up Kristen Barry, a 26-year old with stories to tell, and says "Here, go tell your stories." Very clever.

This album was recorded in L.A. back in 1995 and produced by the Robb Brothers (Lemonheads, Buffalo Tom). Alternative cred? Yeah. Does it rock? Sometimes. These are not stupid pop tunes. If I said this album sounds like Melissa Etheridge meets Jewel, would you smack me? It's hard to describe, ok? But if you caught Kristen's showcase at SF03, you'd understand.

"Nothing's Too Good" is an easy radio play, but "Cool" has instant hooks and listeners will get it right away. "Gotta Go," "Take It Away," and "Seeing Gun" will also rock your world.