Being a younger sibling is never an easy thing; it comes with its own complications as well as rewards. When your name is Solange Knowles and you're the younger sister of a superstar like Beyonce Knowles, the sibling relationship, and all that it encompasses, is magnified to a level most can't really imagine. On one hand, people take an automatic interest in Solange's new album, Sol-Angel & The Hadley St. Dreams, because of her famous sister. However, on the other hand, she is faced with constant comparisons and expectations to have the same kind of success that her older sister has become accustomed to.
Luckily for Solange, this isn't her first time out and she seems to be handling all of the pressure just fine. With the new album, Solange seems to have took her time and found her groove in today's music scene. She enlisted the help of star producers like The Neptunes -- who assisted her on the hit single "I Decided (Part. 1)" -- Mark Ronson, and Raphael Saadiq to help give her the updated version of the Motown sound from the '60s and '70s that flows effortlessly throughout the entire album.
On the opening track, "God Given Name," Solange declares, "I'm not her and never will be." Throughout the album she proves that this statement is not just talk, as she tries to set herself apart and find her own voice. Although she doesn't have the greatest vocal range, Solange still manages to deliver a solid album from start to finish. The tracks flow seamlessly from one to the other, while delivering an infectiously vintage sound.
Stand out tracks include "T.O.N.Y.," "Valentines Day," "Would've Been The One," and "Sandcastle Disco." Solange has done something that many artists find hard to do: create a great album without trying to follow the norms set up by the music industry. Solange took a chance by doing what she wanted to do on Sol-Angel & The Hadley St. Dreams, and it worked marvelously.
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