Katrina Elam - Katrina Elam

Whereas 2003 was the rebirth of the country genre courtesy of new male artists, 2004 has seen an explosion of female talent. Katrina Elam and her self-titled debut confidently join the ranks of hot newcomers ready to turn country music on it’s ear. This is a strong debut album.

2004 has seen a resurgence of female acts on the country charts. This development is primarily the result of an influx of new talent to the scene. Artists like Gretchen Wilson, Julie Roberts, Sugarland and Rachel Proctor have helped the country genre recover from its low point of a couple of years ago. Gone, for the most part, are the glitzy pop based country singers in favor of more traditional based country. Katrina Elam is part of this trend toward the traditional sounds.

While traditional leaning, “Katrina Elam” is very much a modern record. Produced by Tony Brown and Jimmy Lee Sloas, the record is soaked with layered fiddles, soaring electric guitar solos along with some banjo, dobro, and steel guitar thrown in. “Strong Anything” is the perfect example of this. First single “No End In Sight” is a nice way to introduce Katrina to radio. It features Keith Urban on “ganjo” and guitar (with a melody similar to one of his songs). “The Breakup Song” discusses how songs impact our emotions. “Flowers By The Side Of The Road” is an aching yet helpful ballad about how an accident can affect a person’s life. “I Want A Cowboy” sounds like a radio hit while “Drop Dead Gorgeous” discusses the way beautiful people impact us.

There’s only eleven tracks on “Katrina Elam” but the CD is a very good collection of modern country music. I think this CD could be a strong success and that Katrina has everything it takes to be a star.