Review: Kelly Rowland, Simply Deep

Following the monster record Survivor, it was Kelly Rowland who first achieved solo success apart from Destiny’s Child with her duet with rapper Nelly on his track “Dilemma.” She quickly followed this up with her Platinum selling album Simply Deep. Her debut effort served to introduce her to the masses as a solo artist and proved that she could stand independently from her band mates.

Taking elements from rock and infusing it with R&B, Simply Deep makes heavy usage of guitars and features effortless vocals from Rowland. She indulges in her lower register and stretches her vocal muscles with tracks like “(Love Lives In) Strange Places” and “Beyond Imagination.” She tackles deep subject matter with the opening track “Stole” and shows herself to be an emotive story-teller on the song painting a poignant portrait of teen suicide. Much in the same vein, Rowland is equally as introspective on most other songs on the album with the majority focusing on romantic trials and tribulations ranging from love songs (“Simply Deep”) to pained ballads of love gone wrong (“Everytime You Walk Out That Door”). The latter serves as a standout on the album and shows her range amazingly. Simply Deep also contains a few up-tempo songs such as “Love/Hate” and “Past 12” but it is “Can’t Nobody” that shines the brightest. The track’s brash and stomping rhythm commands movement and features Rowland at her sassiest. Its sound would later be imitated by Amerie (“1 Thing”), Jennifer Lopez (“Get Right”) and Beyonce (“Crazy in Love”) guaranteeing each a hit song, perhaps indicating that Rowland is more of an innovator than she is given credit for. Another standout on Simply Deep is the airy “Train on a Track.” The song served as Rowland’s final single off of the album and features sweet vocals, a weightless composition and is the album’s most viable commercial option.

While Simply Deep grants Rowland a sound unique to her independent of the one Destiny’s Child had cultivated, it fails to truly create an identity for Rowland as a solo singer. The album is bogged down by an overwhelming number of mid-tempo songs that ultimately works against it. The imbalance gives the album an ambient sound and makes it easy to tune in-and-out. It is two or three tracks too long and could have benefitted from more dance songs. Nevertheless, it is an incredibly cohesive work that does not try to please every possible listener. Its rock/R&B sound is consistent from start-to-finish. Additionally, the album contains numerous standout tracks outside of those released as singles, a feat usually not accomplished on a debut album. Overall, Simply Deep is a valiant effort by Rowland and is an album sure to please most fans of the R&B genre.

Recommended Listening: “Stole,” “Dilemma,” “Haven’t Told You,” “Can’t Nobody,” “Love/Hate,” “Simply Deep,” “Past 12,” “Everytime You Walk Out That Door,” “Train on a Track.”

Grade: B-