The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • Page 45

Ik THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2006 WEEKEND EM eefiwe pite Kristin Hoffmann begins residency tonight at Club Metronome By Michelle Edelbaum Free Press Staff Writer With training as an opera singer and pianist, one might expect Kristin Hoffmann's music to sound more like classical soprano ingenue Charlotte Church than Sarah McLachlan. Hoffmann a 27-year-old singer songwriter from Greenwich Village who starts an eight-week residency at Club Metronome tonight is as talented as her Julliard training suggests but much more complex. 'As much as I love classical, there just came a point in time where I came to terms with the fact that I get a lot more joy out of singing my own music," Hoffmann said. Hoffmann started playing piano and writing songs at age four and has weathered a series of starts and stops in the music business. As a student at NYU, she signed briefly to Capitol Records.

When things at the label didn't work out, Hoffmann self-released her first album "Divided Heart," which sold a respectable 3,000 copies. She's played extensively in New York City, with appearances at Joe's Pub, Knitting Factory, and The Public Theatre. She also had a residency at Cafe Vivaldi where she played some 250 shows. "I didn't know it was going .1 i'i! II I I'- i iinii 1 In (. I "JO tJld 'll Mi 'in is I i M(5i Jl' I I ii 'in il A niii i i lu I rrn i i llll ll .1 I I I to be such a vehicle for me, but I started growing so much.

I hadn't played solo before, I hadn't had to rely only on myself," said Hoffmann, who also plays guitar. The Cafe Vivaldi gig spurred her confidence as a performer and breathed new life into her career. Hoffmann recently signed with Interscope Records, home to Beck, Sheryl Crow and U2, among others. This past summer she toured with The Wallflowers, and opened for Urn Reynolds and Brandi Carlile; she recently taped a guest appearance on the CBS 'It I i ll: ii i Hi I I i)s! I fllllt uyd i 4fii i fjlp.i at ri -)l i i huk i'i 'i i i Mi i ifl'li I I I sitcom "Love Monkey." Her debut album "Real," which has a reflective, soul-searching quality, is available digitally on iTunes and will be released this spring. Hoffmann's songwriting on "Real" departs from the musings about love, loss and the turmoil of breakups on "Divided Heart" to focus on life's ups and downs and a quest for balance.

Her voice has also gained some soul it has a depth and fullness that doesn't come through on her earlier recordings. Perhaps her lyrical and vocal maturity mirrors Hoffmann's personal evolu- i Hoffmann with yourself there It was a growing experience, I learned a lot about myself and my writing style," she said. Massachusetts and Burlington are a far cry from the bustle of New York City. Just as she channeled her inner self at Longview, Hoffmann said she's hoping to connect with Vermonters through her music "I hope to shed some light on people's life and help them see a new perspective," she said. Contact Michelle Edelbaum at 860-5309 or medelbaumbjp.

burlingtonfreepress.com. Kristin tion she's now married and spent the past several years devoting herself to songwriting and performing. "In writing the record I opened a door back to myself," she said. 'Home' is the key to me on the record. It's about being totally true and honest" Much of the writing on the album was done at Longview Studios, a 150-acre farm in Massachusetts where Hoffmann went horseback riding some mornings and played on a piano formerly owned by the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards.

"You can really get in touch ky. Acoustic Lounge lineup WHAT: Acoustic Lounge WHEN: 7-10 p.m. Thursdays, tonight March 2. WHERE: Club Metronome HEADUNER: Kristin Hoffmann plays at 9 p.m. each week.

Opening acts are: Tonight Audrey Ryan, Andrew Smith Jan. 19 Rav Shmuel, Swati Jan. 26 Caldwell, Jeremy Harpie Feb. 2 Gregory Douglass, Andrew Smith Feb. 9 Lowell Thompson, Swati Feb.

16 Lowell Thompson, Syd Feb. 23 Billy Caldwell, Jeremy Harpie March 2 Joe Adler COST: $5 INFO: 865-4563 or www.clubmetronome. com syd i chmiHi liHrU Vh jJ Harpie Caldwell Swati.