“Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams” – 8/10

REVIEW

Little sister has come to town and she is not playing around.

Solange Knowles, whose older sister is Beyonce Knowles, once again stepped out from beneath her sister’s shadow. Although the two have similar voices, Solange proved she can hold her own by stepping back from the hip-hop genre to create an album that encompasses the R&B, disco and Motown genres of the past.

On the track “Cosmic Journey,” it is clear that Solange is out to offer more than just a cute album, rather she wants her listeners to focus in on the meaning of the song and really gain something from the words. This song is definitely one of the more entertaining tracks on the album with its airy tone and ability to make the listener feel as if they are traveling on a cloud through space with the sweet harmonic notes.

“You can’t love if you don’t even love yourself.” With the words from the track “Dancing in the Dark,” Solange uses an upbeat tempo mixed with her thick and powerful voice tones to empower a heartfelt message: explaining that it is important to care about who you are, and not what people may negatively say about you. But Solange manages to express this message creatively by offering a danceable quality rather than a preachy tone.

Unfortunately for this great album there is one track that feels awkwardly misplaced. “Ode to Marvin” is the weakest track as it tries to fit into the contemporary genre but then confuses the listener by switching to a disco-like feel. The song is repetitive and fails to capture the listener’s attention. Although making an album with so many genres is risky, Solange’s attempt is far from failure. She dove off of the deep end and landed with a striking splash.

The album is certainly worth listening to as it proves the depth of Solange’s artistry and the measure of vocal ability she has. Whether sitting at a desk starting a homework assignment, relaxing with a group of friends or falling asleep at night, “Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams” is the perfect album to set a lighthearted mood.