Solange: Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dream

There’s a fine line between creativity and artistic expression, but Solange [seemingly] fits somewhere in between. Unlike her sister Beyoncé, Solange refuses to cater to the mainstream and, in not doing so, her music is generally not accepted by that of “commercial” audiences. Still, unfazed by that fact, Solange has returned with her new album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams; and trust me, this is one dream that should not be deferred.

Let’s face it. Gone are the days of 70’s soul and Motown but, through artists like Solange, that era continues to live on. Without question, that particular era of music was the inspiration for Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams; and you know what? It really works well for Solange.

Getting things started, “God Given Name” is a brief introduction for the album and only furthers the fact that Solange is nothing like her sister. Hell, she even addresses that notion on this track but you have to listen closely to see what I mean. Up next, “T.O.N.Y” is a nice, catchy tune that can be taken as one way, but is intended as another. Confused? Yeah, I was too but once you figure it out, you’ll love this song as much as I do.

As far as stand out tracks are concerned, quite a few come to mind as I write this. I absolutely dug “Sandcastle Disco” for it’s futuristic instrumentation. Not to mention, Solange just sounds so refreshed and energized that the song is hard not to love. Anyway, other songs of note include: “Dancing in the Dark”, “Would’ve Been The One”, “Cosmic Journey”, and last but not least, the lead single “I Decided”. All these tracks make this album a winner in my book and although some people will be afraid to admit it, I’m starting to think that maybe Beyoncé isn’t the most talented Knowles. It’s ludicrous to even think that, huh? Yeah, I know but to each his own. I standby my statements, so feel free to attack my point of view. I could care less.

Overall, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams is really put together well and succeeds in establishing Solange as a legitimate artist. The only bad thing is, as good as this album is, a lot of people will overlook it and be content with all that bubblegum music we hear all the time on the radio. Eventually, all that b.s. gets repetitive; so instead, do yourself a favor and wake up.

Rating: 7.5 headphones out of 10