Katie Armiger's previous single, "Kiss Me Now," peaked at #55 on the country singles chart. That might not sound impressive, but after cranking out one single after another for three years, it was her first single to enter the chart in the first place. Katie now takes another shot at the Top 40 with "Leaving Home."
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I think there's a reason why Cold River Records is trying so hard to get Katie noticed. Just listen to her performance on this track! She can flat-out sing a country-pop song. Even at the young age of 18, her powerhouse vocals have already earned her comparisons to the likes of Sara Evans and Martina McBride. Her vocal delivery on "Leaving Home" is outstandingly nuanced and expressive. She raises her pitch when she sings "We might be miles apart/ I'll carry you in my heart," which makes the performance even more interesting and pleasant to hear.
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While the song's lyrics are definitely age appropriate, they do fall in the generic range as they describe a young woman leaving home to chase her dreams and find her place in the world. The piano-driven instrumentation sounds good at the beginning of the song, but as the song continues, the production morphs into a slightly overblown combination of string sections and over-zealous drumming.
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But despite the song's minor weaknesses, Katie's showstopping vocals hold the song together and make it a broadly enjoyable listen.
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KATIE'S SCORE: 7
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)
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