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Review Summary: Solidly crafted answers to the current social climate bring us Solange's own 'To Pimp A Butterfly' with her 2016 release, 'A Seat at the Table'. Where her sister Beyonce's politically-charged anthems bore the bravado of a middle finger, Solange's stance gracefully slinks & weaves through the skillfully arranged tracks of 2016's 'A Seat at the Table'. The interludes, rather than being unnecessary pit stops, bind the composition in one of the most thoughtful orders since Radiohead's 'Ok Computer'; in a single-driven landscape, the art of viewing an album as a whole was championed here, with utterly phenomenal results. Upon hearing this, one may question why Solange's popularity never quite reached Beyonce's heights, but there's no need for that to be dwelled upon--this may well have restored my faith in modern soul (along with the likes of James Blake, Sampha, and Childish Gambino, who technically aren't soul artists!) and the beauty and resilience of the human spirit, even through the most trying of times. Albums like this are medicine for the violence and turmoil; warmth against the coldness of the technology that rules us.
Solange has the comfort level in her upper register of a Minnie Ripperton, or even Tori Amos, and she utilizes this expertly; the swaying soul of "F.U.B.U" and "Mad" featuring Lil' Wayne providing gorgeous backdrops against the gritty racial tension lyrically begging to be battled. Where aspects of black beauty are scrutinized and exploited, she provides a resounding answer in "Don't Touch My Hair", featuring Sampha. The strength of the compositions show what beauty could be created when politics are embraced as a fact of existence rather than a taboo hurdle to avoid. The results here provide an effective musical timestamp.
As love should be present behind any revolution, there are romantic breathers amidst the weighty topics, "Don't Wish Me Well"'s swirling synth bouncing about its nod to 90's R&B, and the phenomenally crafted "Cranes in the Sky", produced by Raphael Saadiq and having to be one of the prettiest songs penned in recent memory. The effort behind this as a whole is pretty apparent, and is a refreshing listen for those wanting the extended fix of enjoying albums as a whole. Top notch.
--Brenda Reid
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A.R.O. STAFF (3.5)
Always lovely, sometimes frustrating, and emanating a hazy, warm atmosphere throughout...
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Album Rating: 3.0
cranes in the sky is absolutely stunning. one of my favorite songs probably tbh
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ballsy summary lol. idk what you have here is pretty decent but i'm not sure if it's long enough to justify a 4.5 rating
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
nice review, this deserved some more positive reception here. really special album
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Great album. Nice review (although some of the comparisons are kind of a stretch for me - and also there is quite a number of name drops, which could've been omitted at points, imho).
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
"Upon hearing this, one may question why Solange's popularity never quite reached Beyonce's heights, but there's no need for that to be dwelled upon--this may well have restored my faith in modern soul (along with the likes of James Blake, Sampha, and Childish Gambino, who technically aren't soul artists!) and the beauty and resilience of the human spirit, even through the most trying of times."
That's one hell of a run on
"Albums like this are medicine for the violence and turmoil; warmth against the coldness of the technology that rules us."
K
Feels a bit short personally, there's a huge intro but not much of a conclusion. Feels like more of a love poem than a review to be honest. Other than that this is really well written and I'd like to see more of your stuff on here!
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Agreed with the others' criticisms, but I like the language you use a lot; it's very easy to read, keep it up!
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Should really rate this.. review could use expanding and tigtening, but it's a very decent job for a lovely album.. agreed with you and Ryus that Cranes is fucking fantastic..
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
thank you guys for the feedback! I know some of you didn't think it should have gotten the 4.5...honestly, I was wrestling between that and 5, but I think I should let it grow on me more before giving it a classic status  I dunno man...thought it was wonderful. i even thought it said more than lemonade did? don't kill me! lol
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
On my Ab-Soul review before this, I was told my review was a little short... Tried to go a little longer on this one. And I think my fandom peeks through a bit much lmao Oh well!
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
ianblxdsoe yeah, if you don't count the interludes, it could definitely be seen as a little short in length
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
for any metalheads over here, I think the next review I'll do is for Meshuggah's 'The Violent Sleep of Reason'. Thought it was a pretty solid release...it's between that and Opeth's 'Sorceress', which I loved!
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Haha most would say that Solange is the superior on here, though I personally prefer Lemonade! Looking forward to any future reviews you might do!
I'd recommend checking out some other reviews on here if looking for certain things such as length and some customs that might help out!
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I prefer when fandom seeps through in a review, I think it's a lot more captivating than when a writer attempts to be objective. Often, a good means of creating a piece that feels whole (I suppose) is to include a framing device that introduces and concludes the writing -- that focuses on a particular theme, device, narrative etc. Of course, it's far from necessary, and I quite like the way this review sort of just appears and disappears. A balance could be found, though, I'm sure. (:
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
haha right on. My reviews have a lot of growing to do...the last time I did these was as an editor of my school paper, and since i kinda had full reign over what went onto my Features page, the results were suuuuper biased. I think I singlehandedly made my high school sick of hearing about Rage Against the Machine lmao! Yes, there are some really fantastic reviews on here from what I've seen so far. I really like this site; I can be a music nerd with folks other than my ex bandmates and my fiancee lol
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
The most biased review I'll ever write will be if I make one for James Blake's 'the Colour in Anything'. I fucking LOOOOOVE James Blake
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Welcome to the site. We're a bunch of strange folks, but the music's good!
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