Review: Somehow Solange Fucking Does It Again

 

I hate when people compare Solange to Beyoncé. Some people think she's trying to stand out as the anti-Bey. Solange is just more raw and honest, where Beyoncé's pop icon status tends to drive Bey into more polished and pop-influenced tunes. True masterfully capitalizes on beautifully under-produced vintage music, studio tricks and style. Every track has an intimate live setting feel, like AOL sessions. 

The EP starts off on a high note with "Losing You," an incredibly sad song disguised by a beautiful diet 80s club beat, and remains consistently retro throughout. It's the kind of song people say would never make it on radio, but ends up being a sleeper hit on select formats, which it actually did for a couple of weeks.

The highlight of the album is "Some Things Never Seem To Fucking Work," a track that will make anyone who was alive during the 80s miss that part of their life. For some reason, through the whole song, I couldn't stop thinking about Tisha Campbell in School Daze. Also notable is "Bad Girls." The track is covered in light synths that are further smothered by a heavy bass line. On top of that, Solange's vocals sound like she's got her lips wrapped around the microphone. Still, it all works because it makes Solange seem more cool and distant, which matches the lyrics.

 The difference between True and Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams is that True seems less forced.You can feel that Solange is much more connected with each track.

True is proof that Solange does have a place in the music industry that's not just penning hits for her sister. It may not be at the top of any chart, but then again I'm sure Solange feels a lot more comfortable alongside artist who don't impact based on their name alone. The music on True, along with Solange's superb writing and co-produced productions with Dev Hynes, speaks for itself.

 

(8 out of 10)