Lopez Blogs

Let me preface this by saying I had absolutely no interest in Soflange whatsoever. She just didn't appeal to me. Then I accidentally heard the freemason's edit of I Decided and "i decided" (see what i did there??) that maybe she was worth a minute of my time. One sandcastle disco later and I'm marginally but not completely hooked. After all, could Beyonce's l'il sis have more to offer, or is Beyonce truly irreplaceable? Then i remembered I don't care, as I don't like Beyonce so decided to take a trip to Hadley Street and see what was in store. Straight away Flange is reminding us all that Solange is only a name, and she's not "her" (whose her? The cat's mother) and she has her own thing going on. Marvelous. Glad that's all sorted then. No one wants the cat fights that Dannii and Kylie have been reduced to :P Actually, I was a bit worried about the title of the opening track (God Given Name) because Flange is from one of those families that love the lord (the Knowles, the Jessica Simpsons, the Perrys) and shout hallelujah, but don't mind getting their tits and asses out for Jesus if it will sell a few more discs. Luckily, no worries, no preaching here, just an album that is a musical equivalent of kids playing jump rope in the street, or running under the gushing fire hydrant on a hot summers day. It evokes images of a laid back world, where worries occur, but don't take over our everyday lives.

The album as a whole is a modern take on 60s girl bands, Minnie Riperton, Dusty Springfield and the glorious motown era. Remember when En Vogue arrived on the scene and produced near perfect 60s motown pop with a hip hop beat? Solange has done that here - and to a certain extent it works very well. Better than say, Corinne Bailey Rae who gave us the sumptuous Put Your Records On but then bored us to tears. Where Flange shines is when she manages to sound all hurt and vulnerable, but still feisty and all smack yo bitch up. T.O.N.Y. is a good example of this where she refuses to "call his ass", whatever that means and wraps it all up in a catchy melody and spunky beat. I Decided isn't as glorious as the remix version but does have some Supremes sampling hand clapping in and proves that a good tune is a good tune, reswizzled or not. In fact it's sparse doo-wop beauty is quite elegant in album form and would be lovely with a glass of wine (white, chilled, sparkling) on a breezy summers night. And to use a very uncharming metaphor, Sandcastle Disco is so spunky and delicious that it's practically an aural representation of that first second of the non-elusive male ejaculation. Ok that's a bit over the top, but it certainly has bounce to spare. Surely this is a grammy worthy vocal right here? And who else could sing so prettily about being a sandcastle?! There are times during the album where the vocal does get a bit wailing and 6 o'Clock Blues and Valentines Day don't really highlight LaFlange at her best. And when she gets a bit experimental on the longer tracks like This Bird and Cosmic Journey it's often a meandering journey through pop, soul and electro. Hey at least she's trying and the parts of those songs that work are quite good indeed - weird and wonderful and suddenly not the song you started listening to at all. So all in all a (donna) noble attempt at a modern soul album, and one that despite it's faults I like quite a lot (in an edited down version :P ) Pity about the farting rainbows situation on the cover!!

If SoFlange is the serious, look at me I'm making a proper modern motown album, then Little Jackie is the flirty bertie who just wants to have fun with it all. The album tackles somewhat more serious themes like racism and poverty, but dresses them up in some funky hip hop beats, and sweet sweet melodies. Lead off single The Whole World Revolves Around Me is a cheeky little summer romp that owes more than a huge debt to Motown. The melody is as sweet as honey (Marks and Spencers of course) but the lyrics have a little bite to them that contrast nicely with the tune. And with that you get the feeling that Imani could totally kick Katy Perry's ace should she want to - "I'm perplexed by the opposite sex" she sings as she ponders why Guys Like When Girls Kiss, rather than giggling about it to her girlfriends. And if she wants to insult her old lovers she does so in a much more eloquent way than proclaiming that they are gay - in Liked You Better Before, she reels off all the qualities a lover had before they got back together, and all that is wrong with their relationship now. Frankly, luv, if he thinks you are the antichrist, you're better off out of it. Not every track is a winner, and there are a few clunkers on here, but the moments that shine really do radiate - LOL is a tribute to that mortifying moment when you realise you have sent a text to the wrong person and Crying For The Queen... well, let's just say the knives are out for a particular lady in this song. The style of the album may be retro back to black, but the modern lyrics and quick fire delivery are all today and it proves to be a mostly charming and amusing piece of work.
Potential singles: The Whole World Should Revolve Around Me; Liked You Better Before; Crying For The Queen; LOL