If Lana Del Rey once introduced herself as the "gangsta Nancy Sinatra," Kat Dahlia might be the gangsta, Cuban-American Nelly Furtado. She sings, writes and raps; she has a bit of Rihanna's swagger and the gravelly vocals of 1990s grunge. If that sounds like a lotto balance, well, sometimes it is. But if nothing else, on Dahlia's debut, My Garden, she transcends the sum of her seemingly disparate influences, proving herself to be a relatively distinct artist, even if her risks don't always pay off.
The first thing you notice is that voice: Dahlia,24, sings in a deep, throaty vibrato and raps the same way. Sometimes it's smooth and rich; more often, it's sharp and angst-ridden, each word intentionally rough-edged. (This approach takes its toll: In 2014, Dahlia was treated…