If Solange Knowles were not the sister of Beyonce Knowles, then her sophomore album, “Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams” would have a chance. Unlike other celebrities who try and cash in on their siblings fame to leverage their own, Solange coos in her opening song, “God Given Name,” that “I’m not her and never will be/two girls gone in different directions/…let my star shine on its own.”
No, Solange will never be The-Sister-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named; she lacks the voice, stage presence and talent.
Perhaps that was too harsh?
But how can a listener not be biased when the singer’s last name is Knowles?
Okay, let’s start again.
Knowles tries to separate herself from the “hip-hop/pop” genre by channeling the 1960s and early 1970s, an era of music history when radio waves were pervaded with altos singing over live musical instruments and artists ventured with electric guitars and psychedelic sounds. Solange’s voice fits well with the songs she’s given, especially in “Would’ve Been the One,” “Dancing in the Dark,” “Sandcastle Disco” and her newly released single, “I Decided, Part I.”
To her credit, “I Decided” was the best song to release as a single, despite the lack of originality of its music video.
With a fairly decent album and positive reviews, Solange has been out promoting the revised, upgraded version of her-self. Instead of talking about the music, Solange 2.0 spends most of her interview time distancing herself from Beyonce as the funky, cussing kid sister who’s too hip to sing pop and R&B.
What Solange doesn’t realize is that the album is solid on its own for someone of her vocal skill. Not everyone is going to be an Aretha Franklin or Whitney Houston, and pointing that fact out isn’t going to help matters much.
If you’re looking for a CD to get you from campus to the Mall of Louisiana when traffic is heavy, “Sol-Angel” is the album for you.
`
