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Solange |
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Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams |
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Music World/Geffen |
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By DONYA BLAZE
For every aspiring singer who studies the greats, takes vocal training, and dances until her heels bleed, there’s another who breezes into a recording session, bangs on the piano about clouds and socks for an hour, and then calls you crazy for doubting her genius. Let’s just say Solange is the latter. The 22 year-old affirms her individuality with everything from psychedelic album art to whimsical titles on Sol-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams.
Solange may be different -- on “I Decided,” she sings “I was a little different” -- but she definitely has an ear for music. By enlisting Mark Ronson, Cee-Lo, and Soulshock & Karlin to man the boards, she insured the tracks for “Six O’Clock Blues,” “Sandcastle Disco,” and the ironic “T.O.N.Y” were as colorful as her personality. And unlike her ever reserved big sister Beyonce, this Knowles isn’t afraid to peel back the layers and let her fans in: “I play tough as nails with my heart on my sleeve / I’m nothin’ but a sandcastle / Baby don’t blow me away.”
However, when the shakes of the tambourine and strums of the guitar fade, Sol-Angel falls short. Her voice claws at a track like a cat in heat, scratching and straining on notes miles out of her range. Remember, this is her second album, and even with a bubbly hybrid of R&B, pop, and 60’s soul to back her up, the singer’s jagged wailing reveals how much she still has to prove. Luckily for Solange, passion still counts for something.
