Album Review – Katrina Cain’s “If There’s A Heaven”
Texas Country (#550.3), with some Traditional Country (#510) and Country Pop (#530.2) on the Country DDS.
It’s during the most vulnerable moments when she’s gripped with indecision and self-doubt—or feelings of uneasiness or inferiority—that Katrina Cain reaches for the pen, or the guitar pick, pulls a melody out from whatever ethereal vessel they’re swirling around in like fireflies, and makes a country song. Through this work, she creates strong connectivity points with ardent listeners who themselves go through these similar moments, and find comfort and assurance hearing they’re not alone in those experiences.
In what’s officially Katrina Cain’s debut full-length album, she presents personal vignettes with palpable emotions in songs that are ultimately very enjoyable and even fair to call accessible. This is thanks to her superior vocal capabilities, knack for melody creation, and the music’s ability to pull from various influences to make a version of Texas country that tugs on ears far and wide. If you’re looking for the next woman who could help represent country music from the State of Texas, Katrina Cain is not a bad call at all.
If There’s a Heaven is a long time coming. From living in many locales across the country (chronicled in the song “No Hometown”), to finding herself no longer the budding starlet but a seasoned songwriter (touched on in the vulnerable “I Hate July”), Katrina is able to find her footing as a confident singer and songwriter who is able to synthesize relatable moments into meaningful songs.
She made a big impression back in 2018 singing Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon” on The Voice. She even canceled her honeymoon to make the audition. But as we’ve come to know, those kinds of opportunities can be incredibly fleeting. Now with no grand expectations or illusions about her prospects—but a dedicated and dutiful commitment to being the best version of herself she can be—Katrina Cain presents If There’s A Heaven as the most complete and cohesive expression of her creative self yet.
The key to Katrina Cain’s appeal is how she can be both rootsy and traditional, and contemporary and fresh all at the same time. Similarly, her songwriting comes with that critically-acclaimed aspect, while also being completely approachable. You hear this in one of the album’s early singles “No Hometown.” The opening has a radio-friendly aspect to it, luring in passive listeners. But the way the verses and chorus of the song ache as they’re delivered makes you emotionally invested in the song much further, while the steel guitar puts it over the top.
If There’s A Heaven is nine original songs with two versions of the title track. But the truth is along with being a strong songwriter, Katrina Cain is a master interpreter of covers. That’s how she earned her way onto The Voice. She proves this prowess yet again with her version of “Dancing In The Dark” by The Boss, finding the intimacy in the song for those that savor the opportunities to dance close, while not sacrificing the original rendition’s signature unsettled moodiness.
“Dallas Boys” is nothing complicated, and is a welcomed positive moment on the album, and a great song for this “Choosin’ Texas” era in country. But it’s the questions upon faith that come via the final songs on the album that set a strong theme for the record.
In “Father,” “Home To Me,” and “If There’s A Heaven,” Katrina reveals how an underlying belief is there, as is the guilt and the judgement that comes with it. But just as critical is the feeling of letting down herself, and not meeting her own expectations, beyond any faith-based measures. She also broaches this in the earlier song “I Hate July” where she talks about the seasonal depression of reneging on New Year’s resolutions by midsummer.
But it’s only fair to judge ourselves according to our own capacities and the cards we’re dealt. Katrina Cain may have never become the superstar she was aspiring for when two of those chairs turned on The Voice. But even if she had won the entire season, that might not have been the true version of herself being realized. The real Katrina Cain is complicated, often conflicted, and sometimes too hard on herself, just like the rest of us. The victory in If There’s a Heaven is revealing that human side of Katrina Cain, and the human side and shortcomings that weigh on the minds of all of us.
8.2/10
Stream on Spotify / Purchase on Bandcamp