You’re a little fish. Or maybe you’re a big fish, it doesn’t really matter. Solange’s latest EP True has just the right bait — but there’s no hook.
It’s one of those projects, the type whose description would seem to guarantee hooking a load of new fans — of fish. Yet, even with all the conditions in Solange’s favor, the record lacks the “umph” that will not only pull listeners in, but will keep them there.
True falls dead in the middle of swimming and drowning. In some ways it’s magical, in others, tedious. When an EP feels too long, the artist has gone overboard.
One would think a talented songwriter whose resumé boasts R&B masterpieces that extend from the numerous number one hits of her powerhouse of a sister, Beyoncé, would display the same genius on her own album.
Tracks on True like “Lovers in the Parking Lot” seem to have everything at first, so much that you would think it’s impossible for them to be bad. And then, they are. Think of little audio oxymorons. The title? Intriguing. The melody? Contagious. The lyrics? Fair. The vocals? Harmonious. The concept? Brilliant. The result? Confusing.
From time to time, Solange sends off waves of rhythm and funk that are indeed undeniably appealing, for example on “Locked in Closets,” or the EP’s first single, “Loving You.” With both tracks, an image of a more urban and eclectic-sounding Jessie Ware floats to the surface. But for the most part, the seven-song project leaves listeners at bay and unmoved.
Ultimately, True is not the rise in potential that Solange’s 2008 album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams promised, but hey, this listener is just one of many fish in the sea.
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
