Katrina Elam Katrina Elam Lyrics

She was a 16-year-old Oklahoma high school kid when she landed her first songwriting contract and soon had endorsements from fellow Okies Reba McEntire and Vince Gill. That's heady stuff, the sort that often produces overheated expectations and disappointment if and when the artist gets to a major label. Not in Elam's case. Her voice--sensual, sensitive, and passionately full-throated--cuts to the chase, particularly on her own material, as she addresses emotional issues of all shades and intensities. The joyful optimism of "No End in Sight" gives way to the smart, mature view of "The Breakup Song," which explores the common thread of such tunes across generations. "Normal," with its autobiographical tone, captures the isolation and cynicism of every high school outcast. Co-written by Elam and John Rich, "Unbreakable" is a fiery celebration of resiliency, with its line "I'm seein' my life in full color for the very first time" capturing Elam's voice at its rocking peak. It isn't just her edginess that impresses. Despite her youth, Elam's debut projects a stunning, dead-on prairie clarity that takes most singers years to achieve. --Rich Kienzle