When I Get Home - Solange: Review
Solange
is an American singer and actress, and sister of pop icon Beyonce. She found herself in backup dancing and acting roles for much of the 2000's but had a critical and commercial breakthrough on the back of her spectacular 2016 album A Seat At The Table. One of its singles Cranes In The Sky also became a huge success and ultimately took home a best R&B performance Grammy. So after two and a half years of mostly silence on the musical front Solange recorded When I Get Home in secret and dropped two teasers for it throughout the final week of February of this year before announcing on February 28th that the album was to be released that night.
Review By Lav:
I was like most people, never really a huge fan of Solange until 2016, when she dropped her fantastic 3rd studio album A Seat At The Table. Not only did it show she was capable of making a fantastic album it proved that she had huge single potential with the brilliant Cranes In The Sky and the excellent Sampha featuring Don't Touch My Hair. Funnily enough though this album had no singles and everything surrounding it came at us all very fast. From her initial social media presence to a tracklist reveal to an album drop took under 4 days and that hardly gives you a moment to breathe. Then once you realize the album is 19 tracks but only 39 minutes the only thing that at least I was going into it, was very very interested.
So there really are only 12 or 13 fully fleshed out tracks on this album and a slew of interludes that last under 30 seconds. But unlike most projects that go heavy on the theatrics what Solange has done here is create an album that sounds pretty good in isolation and absolutely fucking brilliant as a whole product. It all kicks off with Things I Imagined which is an excellent song on its own but serves even better as a trendsetter for everything that is coming, The old school R&B instrumental, the soft and warm vocals, the Houston inspired niche genre implementations and the retrospective lyrics are all introduced here and carry on throughout what can loosely be called a concept album. After a brief interlude referencing her hometown Houston once again we slide beautifully into Down With The Clique. The song introduces an absolutely intoxicating percussion lead that drives the entire tune gently from spot to spot in a fantastic way. Solange has a very gentle but effective take on the songs entrancing hook that sticks very well.
Next we get a little bit of a change of pace with the hugely D'Angelo inspired Way To The Show. It doesn't work to be one of the albums most popular tracks but it's a very solid and well executed album cut that leads from one noticeable chapter of the project to the next. Stay Flo is next and is the first of a handful of tracks to feature a noticeable name of production, this time the ever-present Metro Boomin. Despite this the track is far from a typical Metro one, it brings a pretty tight energy throughout that we haven't heard on any of the songs so far and Solange is up to the task as she drops one of her best performances on the song and gives a buttery smooth delivery to some lyrics with a deeper and flirtier tone. It's a great final product and one of the numerous highlights on the album.
Dreams features production credits from Earl Sweatshirt and Blood Orange so its fittingly surreal vibe seems like the perfect answer to the equation presented. When the airy, distant vocal samples kick in during the tracks second half it reaches a fitting eclipse that seems very dream-like. This is followed by the Nothing Without Intention (Interlude) which only lends credence to what I have to say next.
Now I get the pleasure of talking about Almeda a track I fully believe is intended to be the projects true centerpiece. The artistic collaboration here is bordering on perfect, Pharell's production blends together his normal upbeat and bouncy energy with a much more subdued and almost ambient vibe underneath, on top of which Solange shines. Over the first half of the track Solange deliveres a tight verse bridged by some ethereal singing from The-Dream that both melts perfectly into the tracklist and stands out alone. Carti's bright but distant adlibs towards the end of this passage are a charming addition, but serve as build up for one of the albums best moments. The last portion of this track is devoted all to Playboi Carti and he comfortably steals the show. His baby-voiced verse is a welcome return to a style we all fell in love with during his come-up and the moment he stops sharing the spotlight and takes it over is a magical one. The verse is no doubt a huge highlight on what is definitely the best track on the album.
Up next is a pair of tracks that help make the middle of this album one of its strongest parts. Starting with Time (Is) another brilliant track that has a soft and steady build in its first half, but goes onto an absolutely killer second half after a drop where Sampha comes in on supporting vocals and the beat gets noticeably spacier. The third piece of this excellent chapter of the album is My Skin My Logo, which features Steve Lacy and Tyler, The Creator on production and shows Solange getting very personal. Her opening verse is notably raw compared to the tight singing pallette we get on most of these tracks even breaking down to laugh mid verse at one point and it does a lot to humanize her at a point where you may be forgetting just how genuine she can be in her performances. Thankfully Gucci Mane is well prepared for this incredibly laid back approach and delivers a fittingly relaxed but properly toned verse that adds a lot to the track and helps tie this section up in a nice little bow.
In transition from this is a portion of the album that tries not to stand out, it's a very solid moment for the project as a whole but doesn't bring too many stand-out moments. Starting with Jerrod a song that effectively blends in and rides a very intimate and lowkey performance from Solange. This moves into Binz one of the songs I was most excited for as it features guest production from Panda Bear of Animal Collective, and his influence is the clearest of all the guest producers as some very jagged and gorgeous natural percussion sounds open up the track. Solange's vocals are far brighter here than on any other track and she resembles Kali Uchis to an incredible degree, the track as a whole just brings a much more conventional R&B approach and is yet another highlight and the best song landing in the second half of the album. Beltway comes in at under two minutes and can almost be called another interlude as it is borderline ambient, but a beautiful one at that.
The final two tracks are Sound Of Rain which features noticeable production from Pharell and one of the best conventional beats the project has to offer, which Solange makes the best of. It picks up in the second half and ends on a big high note which leads perfectly into the Not Screwed! Interlude and sets up for the albums peaceful and gorgeous outro I'm A Witness.
So that's all of the tracks on the album but it feels like we've barely scratched the surface on When I Get Home as an album. Structurally it reminds me a lot of my album of the year from last year Earl Sweatshirt's Some Rap Songs as the rapid fire delivery of shorter tunes is very effective in both. But where Earl looks for dizzying experimentation Solange takes her time and warms the heart with gorgeous vocals and powerfully indulgent instrumentals. The thematic elements that get returned to time and time again and the fantastic video accompaniment to the project make it seem as much like one 39 minute piece than an album split up into 19 parts, which is a tough thing to achieve. You don't have to be from Houston, know every detail of Solange's life, or even be a big fan to understand her recurring elements and appreciate her abstracted storytelling. The reoccurring background vocals from Tyler, Steve and Panda also go a long way to building just how cohesive of a listen this thing is. With the narrative of Frank Ocean's Blonde, the structure of Earl Sweatshirt's Some Rap Songs, the sonic elements of every thing from chop and screw hip hop to Ambient 1, Solange's love letter to Houston is the most complete project of her career and a shining moment of creativity for music in 2019. 9/10
So there really are only 12 or 13 fully fleshed out tracks on this album and a slew of interludes that last under 30 seconds. But unlike most projects that go heavy on the theatrics what Solange has done here is create an album that sounds pretty good in isolation and absolutely fucking brilliant as a whole product. It all kicks off with Things I Imagined which is an excellent song on its own but serves even better as a trendsetter for everything that is coming, The old school R&B instrumental, the soft and warm vocals, the Houston inspired niche genre implementations and the retrospective lyrics are all introduced here and carry on throughout what can loosely be called a concept album. After a brief interlude referencing her hometown Houston once again we slide beautifully into Down With The Clique. The song introduces an absolutely intoxicating percussion lead that drives the entire tune gently from spot to spot in a fantastic way. Solange has a very gentle but effective take on the songs entrancing hook that sticks very well.
Next we get a little bit of a change of pace with the hugely D'Angelo inspired Way To The Show. It doesn't work to be one of the albums most popular tracks but it's a very solid and well executed album cut that leads from one noticeable chapter of the project to the next. Stay Flo is next and is the first of a handful of tracks to feature a noticeable name of production, this time the ever-present Metro Boomin. Despite this the track is far from a typical Metro one, it brings a pretty tight energy throughout that we haven't heard on any of the songs so far and Solange is up to the task as she drops one of her best performances on the song and gives a buttery smooth delivery to some lyrics with a deeper and flirtier tone. It's a great final product and one of the numerous highlights on the album.
Dreams features production credits from Earl Sweatshirt and Blood Orange so its fittingly surreal vibe seems like the perfect answer to the equation presented. When the airy, distant vocal samples kick in during the tracks second half it reaches a fitting eclipse that seems very dream-like. This is followed by the Nothing Without Intention (Interlude) which only lends credence to what I have to say next.
Now I get the pleasure of talking about Almeda a track I fully believe is intended to be the projects true centerpiece. The artistic collaboration here is bordering on perfect, Pharell's production blends together his normal upbeat and bouncy energy with a much more subdued and almost ambient vibe underneath, on top of which Solange shines. Over the first half of the track Solange deliveres a tight verse bridged by some ethereal singing from The-Dream that both melts perfectly into the tracklist and stands out alone. Carti's bright but distant adlibs towards the end of this passage are a charming addition, but serve as build up for one of the albums best moments. The last portion of this track is devoted all to Playboi Carti and he comfortably steals the show. His baby-voiced verse is a welcome return to a style we all fell in love with during his come-up and the moment he stops sharing the spotlight and takes it over is a magical one. The verse is no doubt a huge highlight on what is definitely the best track on the album.
Up next is a pair of tracks that help make the middle of this album one of its strongest parts. Starting with Time (Is) another brilliant track that has a soft and steady build in its first half, but goes onto an absolutely killer second half after a drop where Sampha comes in on supporting vocals and the beat gets noticeably spacier. The third piece of this excellent chapter of the album is My Skin My Logo, which features Steve Lacy and Tyler, The Creator on production and shows Solange getting very personal. Her opening verse is notably raw compared to the tight singing pallette we get on most of these tracks even breaking down to laugh mid verse at one point and it does a lot to humanize her at a point where you may be forgetting just how genuine she can be in her performances. Thankfully Gucci Mane is well prepared for this incredibly laid back approach and delivers a fittingly relaxed but properly toned verse that adds a lot to the track and helps tie this section up in a nice little bow.
In transition from this is a portion of the album that tries not to stand out, it's a very solid moment for the project as a whole but doesn't bring too many stand-out moments. Starting with Jerrod a song that effectively blends in and rides a very intimate and lowkey performance from Solange. This moves into Binz one of the songs I was most excited for as it features guest production from Panda Bear of Animal Collective, and his influence is the clearest of all the guest producers as some very jagged and gorgeous natural percussion sounds open up the track. Solange's vocals are far brighter here than on any other track and she resembles Kali Uchis to an incredible degree, the track as a whole just brings a much more conventional R&B approach and is yet another highlight and the best song landing in the second half of the album. Beltway comes in at under two minutes and can almost be called another interlude as it is borderline ambient, but a beautiful one at that.
The final two tracks are Sound Of Rain which features noticeable production from Pharell and one of the best conventional beats the project has to offer, which Solange makes the best of. It picks up in the second half and ends on a big high note which leads perfectly into the Not Screwed! Interlude and sets up for the albums peaceful and gorgeous outro I'm A Witness.
So that's all of the tracks on the album but it feels like we've barely scratched the surface on When I Get Home as an album. Structurally it reminds me a lot of my album of the year from last year Earl Sweatshirt's Some Rap Songs as the rapid fire delivery of shorter tunes is very effective in both. But where Earl looks for dizzying experimentation Solange takes her time and warms the heart with gorgeous vocals and powerfully indulgent instrumentals. The thematic elements that get returned to time and time again and the fantastic video accompaniment to the project make it seem as much like one 39 minute piece than an album split up into 19 parts, which is a tough thing to achieve. You don't have to be from Houston, know every detail of Solange's life, or even be a big fan to understand her recurring elements and appreciate her abstracted storytelling. The reoccurring background vocals from Tyler, Steve and Panda also go a long way to building just how cohesive of a listen this thing is. With the narrative of Frank Ocean's Blonde, the structure of Earl Sweatshirt's Some Rap Songs, the sonic elements of every thing from chop and screw hip hop to Ambient 1, Solange's love letter to Houston is the most complete project of her career and a shining moment of creativity for music in 2019. 9/10
