Solange Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams
UMGD
Like Amy Winehouse or Duffy, Solange Knowles finds inspiration in R&B
of the past, then she twists it around and puts her own individual spin on
it. The result is kind of retro and forward at the same time. Cee-Lo contributes
a track, which may be the best one on the disc, there’s a little disco,
a little electro-pop, and some absolutely incredible singing. And the production
is tremendous.
Brian Wilson That Lucky Old Sun
Capitol
Man, this is good. Ol’ Brian and his buddy Van Dyke Parks have conjured
a stellar album that easily sits with the best of Wilson’s work, and
that’s saying something. The band sounds great, the songs are the best
he’s had in a long time, and Wilson sounds comfortable, honest and maybe
a bit relaxed. Conceived as a suite revealing the life of Brian Wilson in
Los Angeles, many of the lyrics are quite direct and unflinching, and Brian’s
singing is as great as his songwriting.
