A finalist in Fox TV's "American Idol Junior," the Georgia teenager had been tapped to play, of all roles, Barbie the plastic eternal beauty queen. So she comes across as being very comfortable with these fun pop tunes, nine in all.
She's confident, breezy and earnest, and teenage girls are going to want to listen to and possibly even emulate Katelyn Tarver. The believer's Hilary Duff, she is the wise answer to the grinding heroines of MTV. Her well-programmed music focuses mostly on teenage crushes and relationship issues. The upbeat "Undeniable" and poignant "Closer to My Heart" fall into this category. Tarver's clear vocals sing sweetly of love through the techno beats of "Rain," and she says herself that "Wonderful Crazy" clearly portrays her own outlook on life.
Though she has been known to discuss her faith openly in interviews, her references to her spirituality are more subtle on "Wonderful Crazy." That's not necessarily bad, especially if the music itself is worthy. Her warm vocals hint of God's presence on the piano ballad "Life Was." She handles the R&B feel of "I'll Make It Real" nicely, but the absolute standout track, and fun surprise as well, of the project is the sunny reggae closer "Everything." Like the Host of that long ago wedding, she saved the best for last. Check out Katelyn Tarver, a rising talent, especially if you're young.
