Katrin: Frail to Fearless

Boston-based singer-songwriter Katrin has previously released three local/regional albums and this, her first in three years, marks her entry into the national scene. Produced by Jerry Marotta (Hall & Oates, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney) and featuring guest turns from Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, John Lennon, King Crimson) and John Sebastian (Lovin’ Spoonful), the 10 songs here are never less than pristine and polished. It’s adult-oriented pop through and through, sounding good if not exactly arresting; it’s hard to trace anything that’s exactly enticing, harder still to articulate what makes Katrin stand out –- or not –– from her peers. Songs such as “Far Away”, “More”, and “Breeze” are certainly pleasant enough and she proves that she has impeccable phrasing. A surprisingly strong cover of Led Zeppelin’s “That’s The Way” reveals what you might have expected all album long –– that Katrin is a capable interpreter of material, enough so that it outshines her own writing.