Posted on 06/13/2008
We should all chip in and get Amy Winehouse some rocks for her birthday. If it weren’t for her, the sudden interest in classic soul and doo-wop might not exist. Added to the list of Winehouse torch-carriers, after Estelle, Adele, Paloma Faith and Duffy, is Solange. If you're like me, you only knew Solange Knowles as the one who wasn't Beyonce. But after listening to the rough draft of her forthcoming album SoL-AngeL & The Hadley Street Dreams, you might attempt to remember her on a more individualized basis.

Being guided through the album by her almost as famous father, Matthew, was like listening to a proud papa gush about his kid getting straight A's on her report card. Solange's songwriting skills and independent spirit were a frequent topic as he listed her credits, including penning "Get Me Bodied," "Flaws and All" and "Upgrade U" for her big sister’s B’Day album, as well as several tracks for Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams and Trinitee 5:7.

The most exciting track on the album is a collaboration with Bilal called "Cosmic Journey." The duo's voices collide beautifully in a spaced-out, LSD trip of a love song. As with most of the album, Mr. Knowles described this as one for the hipsters, convincing me that one of us didn't know what that word meant. When I think of the hipster crowd, I definitely don't think 'soul-pop,' the term they've coined for SoL-AngeL, but what's in a name. As the track sped on, it warped into a barrage of R&B and electronica as if someone accidentally slipped on The Who, who said, ‘No Tommy today. Let’s just play Justice.’

The video for the first single, "I Decided" (produced by The Neptunes), is a stylized mash-up of historical images and rebels: Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics, the Confederate Flag, the Audobon Ballroom, Che Guevara and the Black Panthers provide the backdrop for Solange and her two backup singers as they march through history with their best Martha Reeves and the Vandellas impersonation. Rich and vivid as the video is, the connection to the song is a little foggy, but it is an amazing look.

With so many distinct voices from the industry lending their talents on production (The Neptunes, Jack Splash) and lyrics (Lamont Dozier, Cee-Lo), it’s no wonder this album isn’t the watered down pop you might expect. Not that there aren’t some confusing moments with “Champagne Chronic Nightcap” featuring Lil Wayne being at the top of the ‘are you serious?’ list. But by and large, the experienced 22-year old wins you over with her solid lyrics (“I Told You So” puts a clever spin on a good relationship by predicting its demise) or on the musical end of the spectrum with her newly assembled band, The Hadley Street Dreams (named after the location of her Houston studio), taking you on a fantasy ride back to the sixties and seventies.

 

Listen to   Solange Ft. Q-Tip - "Sandcastle Disco"

- Candace L.