‘When I Get Home’ by Solange falls short of its potential [Music Review]
Queen Bey’s sister sounds decent in her fourth album, but there’s nothing special in any of the tracks
Beyonce’s sister, Solange, dropped her fourth album last week titled When I Get Home. It’s a messy experience of experimental soul, where the 32-year-old never quite hits her stride.
Opener Thing I Imagined sums up most of the songs – repetitive lyrics, squelchy aquatic, low-end sounds, jazzy Rhodes keyboard chords, and intense key-shifting that creates a confusing palette trying to pass itself off as artistic.
Down With The Clique and Stay Flo show the most promise, with downbeat dub influences and edited loops as Solange layers her falsetto R’n’B phrases with intricate harmonies. Sadly, the songs then become more basic. Time (is), Binz and closer I’m A Witness are the biggest culprits, each having less direction than the last.
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There are some interesting production tricks here and there, like the touch of 90s hip hop keyboard in Jerrod, or the funky vibrancy of Almeda. Solange’s voice sounds decent, too – she just isn’t delving into any topics with depth.
And that’s the issue here – there’s so much potential that’s not even close to being realised. Solange stands on the edge, never really committing, as the tracks meander aimlessly without a home.
Edited by Ginny Wong