Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams

Toss in a dollop of Diana Ross, a spritz of Erykah Badu with just a hint of Nina Simone to make it sexy, and you'll get a sense of Solange's new release. Fun, funny, autobiographical, it's retro without cynicism, Motown grooves and grownup beats from another planet. Solange takes on everything from men to the confusions of getting stoned--and even artistic/familial identity, beating to the punch those critics tempted to measure her talents alongside that of her older sister, Beyonce. They needn't bother: Solange is irrefutably her own woman as this stunning showcase attests.

This alnum I think was funky and different. I enjoyed it very much! Much more than her sister Beyonce's new cd.

Solange Knowles, famous by association, dropped her sophomore album this year. Sol-Angel & The Hadley St. Dreams is the younger Knowles' attempt to break out of her sister's shadow. The cover the album is an explosion of colors and images as confusing as they are overwhelming. Knowles, in a lime-green cauliflower-inspired dress, wears a pair of fluffy red wings and a confused face, probably wondering where to take her mélange of odd items. Around her includes a floating clear ball, a phonograph, and a collection of other trashed items sitting in a box on the side of the road. Some of the images in the booklet are very interesting, specifically Solange in a white dress accented with a flat and cartoony black bow, flanked by two large white boards with lines you assume she had to write considering the marker in her hand. On the left reads "I will not get pregnant at 17," the right one reads "I will not have a famous family." Burdened, are we? Desperate to break out on her own, her 2008 release is a culmination of her hard work. Does is pay off?

Sol-Angel proves to be a dreamy, rambling R&B album, with some very shiny bits and flares of musical genius.

The good parts are the classy, slick, Motown-inspired R&B street jams, like "T.O.N.Y.", with its block party handclapping and old school soul bass and horn arrangements, and "6 O'clock Blues" with a laid back and effortlessly cool bass riff. Solange also dips into jazzy lounge territory, the ultra-hip "Dancing in the Dark" evoking images of a chic and posh 1960s British martini bar, our little vocal heroine on a slightly raised "stage" in a psychedelic cocktail dress singing into a classic microphone while patrons around ignore her and get sloshed. "Would've Been the One," "Sandcastle Disco," and "I Decided Pt. 1" are all more modern than the previous tracks, but all still hinge on a classic style. Piano, bass, upbeat and funky drums give them all a "bop along" feel that brings to mind all the best images of dancing on the streets of Long Island on a hot, sweltering summer day where the coolest thing around isn't the ice water, it's the music. "This Bird" is an intense, ominous dark ballad that provides an interesting counterpoint to the rest of the album. It does not sound like any other song on Sol-Angel. Rounding out the rest of the best is "I Decided Pt. 2," which was produced by mega remix stars the Freemasons. While utterly superior to the original version, I'm curious why it was labeled as a Pt. 2 and not labeled as a Freemasons Remix. It maintains a classic R&B feel while adopting a heavy and infectious beat.

Summary - Sol-Angel is a classy and smart departure from older sister Beyonce's work. Solange will never be able to not sing like her sister as their voices are very similar, but her style is as far as she can go without seeming fake or untrue to herself. After it all, though, Sol-Angel leaves me wondering one thing: Why can't the Freemasons produce more American pop??

Solange is so much better than her sister's music. Solange takes a refreshing approach to what's old is new again. She definitely has her own style that is clearly echoed throughout the CD. There is a lot to be said for an artist who is able to string together 13 fabulous songs and not have you feel one time you want to skip the next track. This CD is about real music with heartfelt lyrics as we take this journey with Solange to achieving her dreams.

Solange has taken a huge risk by deviating from the family formula of musical creativity. I think this risk has proven to be solid choice. This talent is showcasing that unusual is good (being wildly creative) and this is something the music industry desperately needs.

Solange is on her way to having musical staying power and the ability to accumulate a mass of her own loyal fan base.

I have to admit, when I heard Solange was putting an album out, I was less than impressed. I was introduced to the album by the first single, "I Decided" and to be honest I didn't really like it. I had to listen carefully, it was different. Than I heard it over again and then over again. I still didn't buy the cd. Then Sandcastle Disco came out. I liked the song, but I still didn't buy the cd. And the more I heard the two singles, I loved them. But I still didn't buy the cd. WHY? Because she was Solange and I wasn't going to buy it. Then I would hear the song on the radio and I would turn it up and really enjoy the song. I would think, why don't I just buy this cd. Well finally I did. On the same day that I bought Beyonce's new cd. I am a huge Beyonce fan and I really wanted the cd. Well I was disappointed. Mediocre for Beyonce. Ok, now Solange. Wow! I was thoroughly shocked. The music was good. This was not the radio friendly pop foolishness that I had been hearing over the last year. This was legitimate, good, quality music! And guess what Solange is singing it. Whatever you think about her and her family, forget it. Listen to the music. She will suprise you. She suprised the hell out of me. I am officially a fan of Solange.