Sol-Angel And The Hadley Street Dreams Review

Solange Knowles has made it clear that she doesn't want to be compared to her sister Beyonc—, which is only fair: there's no comparison. Big sis has several attributes that Solange lacks, including charisma, a distinct musical personality, and an almighty gale-force singing voice.
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Solo Star, Solange's debut, lacked character. Not without a small clutch of memorable songs, much of it was nonetheless generic, containing little to separate it from the average R&B album fronted by an up-and-coming performer. Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, released five years later, is an entirely different affair -- fun, silly, slightly eccentric and, most importantly, fearless. Steeping an album in classic Motown and other R&B sounds of the late '60s and early '70s may not be the wildest maneuver in 2008, but throughout Sol-Angel, there is a kind of frolicsome adventurousness that is singular and undeniable, even when Solange lets loose with the sourness and addresses her false public image.
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On her sophomore set, Solange not only takes on a sound that differs from her pop-driven 2002 debut, but demonstrates that unlike her sister Beyoncé—who she vehemently refutes comparisons to on "God Given Name"—she has no reservations about sharing personal experiences.
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