Katrina Leskanich
Blisland
Katrina’s Web
by David Chiu
It only seems appropriate that the former singer of Katrina and the Waves released her first new album in 10 years on the eve of “Walking on Sunshine”’s 30th anniversary. Though the band had folded, Leskanich is keeping its memory and sound alive as a solo artist. Blisland contains the New Wave/power-pop elements that her erstwhile group had been known for, including such upbeat tracks as the heartfelt “Sun Coming Up,” the inspiring-sounding “Every Step,” and the soulful “Definition.” Yet there are also stylistic deviations from that New Wave sound from the gritty, ZZ Top-like rock of “Texas,” the twangy saloon-influenced “Farmer’s Song,” and a Southern swampy reworking of “Walking on Sunshine.” Besides some really material, the record shows that Leskanich is still in fine voice, which has not weathered since she and the Waves broke out three decades ago. Blisland isn’t a technically a comeback since Leskanich has still been actively performing in the last 10 years or so, but it also in a way marks a fitting and triumphant return for the singer.
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