Simply Deep

1	Stole 4:09
2	Dilemma / Nelly 4:49
3	Haven't Told You 3:42
4	Can't Nobody 4:04
5	Love/Hate 3:08
6	Simply Deep / Solange Knowles 3:22
7	(Love Lives In) Strange Places 3:32
8	Obsession 3:36
9	Heaven 3:58
10	Past 12 3:28
11	Everytime You Walk Out That Door 4:09
12	Train on a Track 3:43
13	Beyond Imagination 3:21
14	Make You Wanna Stay / Joe Budden Bonus Track 4:08

Barnes & Noble

With Simply Deep, Kelly Rowland of the multiplatinum Destiny's Child steps out of her best friend Beyoncé's shadow and proves she's a vocal force to contend with. While Beyoncé still has a flashier singing style and physique, the more bohemian, model-thin Rowland earns cool points for altering the DC R&B-lite anthem format -- if only slightly -- to offer a set of edgier songs inspired by soul, pop, and adult contemporary rock. Chief among them is "Dilemma," Rowland's brilliant, Patti LaBelle–sampled hit with rap superstar Nelly, and the poignant, India.Arie–esque single "Stole" -- about stolen youth due to teen pregnancy, violence, and suicide. Although she gets a little jiggy with it on up-tempo numbers such as "Love/Hate" (written by Brandy and her hubby, Robert Smith) and the feel-good party jam "Past 12," Rowland's star shines brightest when she's flexing her smoky pipes on the seductive, acoustic guitar–laced "Haven't Told You" (reminiscent of Toni Braxton's "Spanish Guitar") and the string-laden title track, featuring Beyoncé's baby sis, Solange Knowles. Of course, as a product of DC manager and executive producer Matthew Knowles' pop idol factory, Rowland can't cut all ties to the sound that shaped her. Echoes of Destiny's Child are still heard throughout the disc's 13 tracks - particularly on the pretty ballad "Everytime You Walk Out That Door" -- and the listener is left to imagine how much deeper the disc could have delved if it offered a few more songs in the vein of the hip-hop-fueled bonus track "Make U Wanna Say," featuring rising rapper Joe Budden. Still, Simply Deep does more than scratch the surface of Rowland's undeniable talent and offers a satisfying glimpse into the soul of a maturing young woman and artist. Tracy E. Hopkins

The Source

Kelly displays her many influences on Simply Deep. There's the romantic ballad "Haven't Told You," which expresses her Mariah Carey influence. And "Beyond Imagination," co-written with Beyonce's baby sis Solange, recalls '80s rock. Ann-Marie Nicholson