‘When I Get Home’ is the fourth and latest full length album from Solange Knowles aka Beyoncé’s more talented little sister (In my opinion). This is the follow up to her 2016 album ‘A Seat at the Table’ which was her breakout moment in the music industry which got her on the radar. The album was not only critically acclaimed but loved by fans so everyone has been waiting in anticipation for her next album.
Attached to ‘When I Get Home’, Solange has given the audience a promotional film with production of the album by such talents as Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Panda Bear, Metro Boomin, Pharrell, etc., it should be a hit, right? The LP has features from the likes of Playboy Carti, Gucci Mane and Sampha. The album has 19 tracks on it but it is not lengthy at all with a run time of only 39 minutes. The songs are somewhat eclectic with their constant rotation of instrumental palates and musical guests. Musically the album presents a pretty seamless stream of songs that emphasizes Solange’s mood and vibe. She seems to be content with recording motifs and sketches than larger and more compartmentalized songs.
Solange’s voice was somewhat meek and timid on this album especially on the songs “Jerrod” and “Time (Is)”. Dare I say her voice on these two tracks was sleep inducing. Not only is her volume and range lackluster but she’s not exactly the most expressive singer when it comes to these two songs either.
The overall album leaves this reviewer on the fence. While I’m definitely not impressed with Solange’s execution on this LP some of the ideas of what she’s shooting for shows that her thinking acumen is beyond that of a normal human being which, in some efforts, are good. There are moments on the album where I can hear her trying to embrace the newest and weirdest trends of Hip Hop music but attempting to apply them to an R&B or Neo-Soul context fails miserably. One perfect example of this is on the track “Almeda” featuring Playboy Carti where Solange is trying to make her album sound like something that it’s not.
Now don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy a few tracks like “Stay Flo” with its groovy beat switches and grimy bass with a touch of glistening keys. “Dreams” and “Beltway” both had beautiful execution with their infusion of drums throughout, but other than that no other songs had any type of indelible impact on me.
This album sounded like something that started out as a good idea in someone’s mind but when it came time to produce the final product it fell short. ‘When I Get Home’ receives 4 stars out of 10 stars.