Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Whenever someone talks about the 90s there is a hint of nostalgia for the simpler times; the days of My So-Called Life and Freaks and Greeks. Kat Graham’s debut album, Roxbury Drive, creates a sound that mimics 90s R&B and pop tracks. As the first track, “1991” starts I suddenly found myself wanting to slide into my Doc Martens, tie my hair up with a velvet scrunchie, and transport into 1991 – ironically four years before I was born — and dance around in my tiny apartment.
Those who are familiar with the show The Vampire Diaries know that Bonnie Bennett, Graham’s character, was stuck in an alternate universe in 1994 for the majority of season six. Despite the hardships that her character had faced while trapped in 1994, Graham seems to have liked the era so much that created an entire album around it. Roxbury Drive steps outside of the traditional pop sound that keeps modernity tangled within each track and instead creates a nostalgic album that’s reminiscent of 99 cent gas prices and monthly trips to King’s Island.
Graham started her career as a background dancer for artists such as Lil Bow Wow, Justin Bieber, Missy Elliot, Pharrell, and as Fantana Strawberry. Eventually her dancing led her to the studio where she studied musical engineering in the hopes of mastering her own music. Roxbury Drive is not the first time that Graham is performing her own songs instead of dancing in the background. She was featured on will.i.am’s 2007 singles, “Got it From My Momma” and “The Donque Song” while accompanying him on his summer tour. Graham later released her own EP Against the Wall which featured the hit track “Put Your Graffiti on Me.”
Roxbury Drive is a complete change from her earlier singles, most of which were simply dance hits to play while you get ready to go out. Graham cites Tupac Shakur, Spice Girls, Shakira, and Destiny’s Child as her musical influences and self-describes her sound as “vintage 90s with a modern twist.” Although Graham’s 90s obsession is clear, some songs successfully embody the decade better than others.
The song “One,” which samples the track “That’s the Way Love Goes” by Janet Jackson, is the best track on the album. The slow groove underneath Graham’s powerful vocals keeps the music simple while creating an image and an aura that allows the listener to slip in and out of the 90s. Graham adds her modern twist to the song as she speaks the breakdown before leading back into the smooth R&B style chorus. If Graham wants to create traction and bring her album to light “One” should be the next single.
While “One” is a close to perfect track, “Off” is less than perfect and gives the impression that Graham is trying too hard to shed the good girl Bonnie Bennett image. It’s important to separate a character’s image away from the actor or actress, but something about that song does not seem to truly represent Graham. “Off” is not a terrible song, it just doesn’t blend seamlessly into the rest of the album.
The singles “Secrets ft. Babyface” and “1991” are good tracks that show Graham’s fans that she can have a multitude of personas – that differ from the self-righteous attitude that Bonnie has on the show – and give her fans the real Kat Graham, not Bonnie Bennett.
Too often we see actors and actresses suddenly create an album that lacks depth, creativity, and an overall sense of talent. However, Graham could easily switch from acting to singing permanently. The fact that Roxbury Drive is Graham’s first album it is somewhat unbelievable. Her hard work and talent is displayed throughout the entire album and she is showing that she is more than the “Little Witch” on The Vampire Diaries. Graham still has room for improvement in terms of keeping the consistency of an entire album going, but this is a good start. Roxbury Drive is the perfect album to enjoy on a car ride with friends while you reimagine your life as Tia & Tamera in Sister, Sister (where you obviously tell Roger to go home).