SOLANGE KNOWLES, omg the return of

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Well, of the two new albums I've heard today, I quite like this one, whereas Bloc Party's is fairly shit.

The retro vibe works, and there are a handful of GREAT songs (Sandcastle Disco, Would've Been the One, I Decided). My attention started to drift in the middle, but repeated listens might change that.

Alex in Montreal, Thursday, 21 August 2008 10:10 (sixteen years ago) link

This album totally appeals to my intellectual backpacking coffee shop digital kid sensibilites. I love it.

The Reverend, Friday, 22 August 2008 06:16 (sixteen years ago) link

"Cosmic Journey" ffs

The Reverend, Friday, 22 August 2008 06:17 (sixteen years ago) link

ChampagneChroniknightCap = swirl of cherry juice

lovely vocal harmonies & synths.

Turangalila, Friday, 22 August 2008 06:38 (sixteen years ago) link

yes, that is my other favorite, listening to it right now

The Reverend, Friday, 22 August 2008 06:41 (sixteen years ago) link

Secretly I think what got me hooked on the song was the subliminal choral glissando @ 0:56 - 0:58

Turangalila, Friday, 22 August 2008 07:01 (sixteen years ago) link

what IS that sound? "let's have a ChampagneChroniknightCap....(e.g., 2:02 - 2:04)"

Turangalila, Friday, 22 August 2008 07:07 (sixteen years ago) link

lez go lez go
to the open

Turangalila, Friday, 22 August 2008 07:21 (sixteen years ago) link

so shut the fuck up
this bird's not slowing down

Turangalila, Friday, 22 August 2008 07:38 (sixteen years ago) link

still not feeling the whole album, but some of these songs are so genuinely weird. 'this bird' starts off with that alien boc sample & there's a bit in the ending that is so totally minnie ripperton circa 'adventures in paradise'. also love the countryish "it's not over yet" outro. all of this, framed with this weirdly displaced r&b edge.

Turangalila, Friday, 22 August 2008 07:44 (sixteen years ago) link

also, 'i decided' is absolutely not emblematic of the whole album's sound.

Turangalila, Friday, 22 August 2008 07:48 (sixteen years ago) link

the rhythm/cadences on 'would've been the one' are so unusual. so are the chord progressions.

Turangalila, Friday, 22 August 2008 07:56 (sixteen years ago) link

This shit is great. And I am still struggling to hear all the indie pop and techno everyone was talking about last month up above. That's like calling She Wants Revenge trends post-punk

skygreenleopard, Friday, 22 August 2008 09:02 (sixteen years ago) link

haha
"I promise I'm not high!"

Turangalila, Friday, 22 August 2008 09:07 (sixteen years ago) link

i was more surprised at how straight she played the album! though possibly her kookiness made me expect/fear something really eccentric/'wacky'. i mean the album is mostly just motown throwbacks and minnie ripertonisms until she starts veering off on techno tangents and songs about weed at the end. it's pretty impressive how she pulls off both the trad and the out-there, though, and most of the songs really hold up - apart from the obviously great tracks, '6 o'clock blues' and 't.o.n.y.' are sleepers.

she was a difficult interview, too.

lex pretend, Friday, 22 August 2008 09:21 (sixteen years ago) link

'6 o'clock blues' and 't.o.n.y.' are sleepers

ugh, indeed, that's what I was just thinking

Turangalila, Friday, 22 August 2008 09:22 (sixteen years ago) link

also she was brilliant live

lex pretend, Friday, 22 August 2008 09:24 (sixteen years ago) link

'difficult interview' how, Lex?

Turangalila, Friday, 22 August 2008 09:25 (sixteen years ago) link

basically acted like i'd just woken her up throughout. only loosened up when i gave up asking her questions with any point and starting shooting the shit about dubai architecture, her tattoos &c

lex pretend, Friday, 22 August 2008 09:29 (sixteen years ago) link

haha I see

Turangalila, Friday, 22 August 2008 09:30 (sixteen years ago) link

were you responsible for that "Beyonce's crazy sis" Guardian headline, Lex? It seemed a bit much, especially since it I felt that the piece presented her as more of a mere scattershot eccentric.

Merdeyeux, Friday, 22 August 2008 22:12 (sixteen years ago) link

nope!

lex pretend, Friday, 22 August 2008 22:35 (sixteen years ago) link

one month passes...

anybody heard the new album yet?

batwing, Thursday, 25 September 2008 06:39 (sixteen years ago) link

Most of the people upthread!

Tim F, Thursday, 25 September 2008 06:41 (sixteen years ago) link

too stupid to live

batwing, Thursday, 25 September 2008 06:45 (sixteen years ago) link

(me)

batwing, Thursday, 25 September 2008 06:45 (sixteen years ago) link

i'm finally listening to this. it's pretty damn great.

Annoying Display Name (blueski), Sunday, 5 October 2008 16:51 (sixteen years ago) link

I love Cosmic Journey but... am I the only one who has issues with the actual SOUND of the techno bit? I can't put my finger on it.

Turangalila, Sunday, 5 October 2008 20:26 (sixteen years ago) link

I'd been kind of enjoying the album up until the final few tracks and then Cosmic Journey sounded so great it made me really annoyed that the entire album wasn't like that.

Matt DC, Sunday, 5 October 2008 20:55 (sixteen years ago) link

my only criticism so far: needs more/any violin

Annoying Display Name (blueski), Sunday, 5 October 2008 21:40 (sixteen years ago) link

The ending of "This Bird" really ruins the song for me. I adore the intro, though.

Turangalila, Sunday, 5 October 2008 21:42 (sixteen years ago) link

I don't like the techno bit of "Cosmic Journey" - it feels tacked on and showy.

Tim F, Monday, 6 October 2008 00:29 (sixteen years ago) link

Right.

Turangalila, Monday, 6 October 2008 01:22 (sixteen years ago) link

The ending of "This Bird" really ruins the song for me. I adore the intro, though.

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― Turangalila, Sunday, October 5, 2008 2:42 PM Bookmark

otm, the part where she says "This song isn't over yet" makes me gaaararrgh

© 2008 (The Reverend), Monday, 6 October 2008 02:10 (sixteen years ago) link

Basically I'm not convinced Solange really carries off the "i'm that weird intergalactic meta-chick" act she tries on these tracks, either in terms of straight execution, or in terms of constructing a convincing persona.

As I said in my review, I think the temptation to avoid is to applaud this stuff simply for its own sake - for, y'know, bucking trends or whatever - when it seems pretty clear that Solange or her people just aren't as strong here (lyrically or musically) as they are on terrain like "Would've Been The One" or "Sandcastle Disco".

Which is not to say that the three tracks in this category don't each have positive qualities, or that they're the weakest songs here.

Tim F, Monday, 6 October 2008 05:18 (sixteen years ago) link

one month passes...

she killed it at the pigalle last night - SO much fun. sol! angel! and the hadley! street! DREAMS! and she looked fab - gold layered miniskirt + mickey mouse stencilled T-shirt + military jacket.

'cosmic journey' is a billion times better played by a full band - shonky dance knock-off turned into something genuinely immersive. and she played the og 'i decided' because she has good taste in her own songs. in the second verse of 'would've been the one' she quietened the band with a wave of her hand and really dreeeew out the line "and she was cool with just...fuckin' around" to whoops and cheers from the crowd.

lex pretend, Saturday, 8 November 2008 11:10 (fifteen years ago) link

four weeks pass...

she says "Ay bay bay" in "T.O.N.Y."

Super Cat (The Reverend), Sunday, 7 December 2008 18:22 (fifteen years ago) link

record is very good. T.O.N.Y. close to top ten songs OTY for me

k3vin k., Sunday, 7 December 2008 18:24 (fifteen years ago) link

yeah, I've listened to "T.O.N.Y." at least 3-4 times today

Super Cat (The Reverend), Sunday, 7 December 2008 18:25 (fifteen years ago) link

I Decided that Solange released one of my favorite songs of the year.

Are you there, God? It's Madonna, call me in Miami. (Stevie D), Sunday, 21 December 2008 02:03 (fifteen years ago) link

i like this album but quite a lot of it is too in that mark ronsony early 90s hip hop soul mould. id have liked more songs that lived up to her 'black bjork' billing.

titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Sunday, 21 December 2008 11:44 (fifteen years ago) link

mark ronson early 90s?

Timezilla vs Mechadistance (blueski), Sunday, 21 December 2008 11:57 (fifteen years ago) link

"id have liked more songs that lived up to her 'black bjork' billing."

A shame that she's not really any good at these.

Tim F, Sunday, 21 December 2008 12:56 (fifteen years ago) link

i dont mean ronson was around in the early 90s. i mean theres tracks on the album that sound like they could be from jois first album or some other chick from 91 singing over some breakbeats.

"A shame that she's not really any good at these."

the song with bilal is up there, regardless of the slightly unnecessary ending.

titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Sunday, 21 December 2008 13:22 (fifteen years ago) link

lars von trier and i were especially hoping she'd live up to her black bjork billing on 'dancing in the dark'.

the love song of j alfred pitchfork (r|t|c), Sunday, 21 December 2008 21:46 (fifteen years ago) link

sandcastle disco has got some really nice lyrics.

titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Sunday, 21 December 2008 22:04 (fifteen years ago) link

Her "black bjork" billing? Of course you're going to be disappointed if you're looking for something that isn't there.

Wonderful Day Wendy (The Reverend), Monday, 22 December 2008 01:39 (fifteen years ago) link

If Bjork in black face was a real option, I'd take it

Bimble is more goth than Jew (The stickman from the hilarious 'xkcd' comics), Monday, 22 December 2008 01:45 (fifteen years ago) link

hahahha

Wonderful Day Wendy (The Reverend), Monday, 22 December 2008 01:50 (fifteen years ago) link

yeah wait a couple years, it could happen

Dimension 5ive, Monday, 22 December 2008 01:54 (fifteen years ago) link


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