It must be tough having a famous sister, especially if you desire to follow in her footsteps. Sure a long-familiar surname may open doors, but think of the inevitable comparisons you'd let to last and the media's constant coverage of any sibling rivalry.
Solange Knowles (sister of Beyonc� has, so you won't receive her surname on the cover of her debut album Solo Star or her up-to-the-minute offering, SoL-AngeL and the Hadley St Dreams. And to reinforce the fact that Solange is identical much her own adult female, she kicks off her new album with a plea to listeners to judge her on her own merits and leave big sis.
Fair enough. But if she wants people to let her ''starlight shine on its own'' and efface Beyonc� from their minds, maybe it would be better to get on with showing us what she can do instead of wasting time on God Given Name, a laid-back electronic soul caterpillar tread whose message has the same potential difference to sicken as J-Lo's Jenny From The Block.
Fortunately things amend enormously when Solange gets down to business with the fantastically soulful T.O.N.Y, followed by the retro vibe of Dancing In The Dark, and the 60s-esque pop of IWouldveBeenthe1. Other standout tracks confirm Solange's vocal stylings ar worth checking out: the infectiously upbeat Sandcastle Disco, The Supremes-inspired I Decided and its funky remix by the Freemasons, addition 6 O'Clock Blues produced by Mark Ronson.
Ronson and the Freemasons aren't the only cock-a-hoop names on the album either. Solange has really gone to town delivery together a wealth of producing, committal to writing, and recording talent to complement her own including Lamont Dozier, Gnarls Barkley's Cee-Lo Green, Pharrell Williams, Lil Wayne, and Q-Tip.
As well as playing with Motown-esque grooves, Solange makes an pleasure trip into ambient electronics on a few tracks. And while Cosmic Journey would be fine if the trip were half the length, Solange is definitely at her best when putting a modern spin on sounds from the 60s and 70s.
A solid album which you�ll enjoy more with each hearing, SoL-AngeL might just have you asking, ''Beyonc� who?''.
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