Album of March: Solange Knowles’ When I Get Home

It is not often that an artist can say they have, literally, created something new. Yes, an artist can create a newer version of themselves, but a new genre or “playing field” from which other artists will go and seek inspiration …. that is a rare feat. Solange Knowles’ When I Get Home is an album that will inspire many for its blends of psychedelia, jazz, Hip Hop, soul, and overall spiritualism. 

Sonically, the album feels chopped and frenzied between hypnotic melodies and basslines that make you want to join a twerk competition. At times, Solange goes so cosmic in her arrangements, you feel like you cannot lift your body because your soul is elevating from it. This is particularly true for songs such as “I’m A Witness,” “Time Is,” and “Dreams;” the latter capturing her repeating lyrics as if they are seeds she wishes to plant in your mind. With each repetition a futuristic nostalgia vapes over you; like you are a star moving to another galaxy while looking back to the worlds you leave. I love the idea of this image because, in a way, we live many lives in our lifetime, which is why remembering who we were can enrapture who we are becoming. 

Solange really makes you feel like you are The Future looking at The Past, which is a theme that recurs throughout When I Get Home. As women from the Third  Ward speak throughout the album. with notes of wisdom and esteem, Knowles voice feels carried by the earth. She can soil, fire, water, and wind a verse for its virtuosity; all while revealing that she is a human being seeking a higher sense of being in every aspect: from her artistry to her black womanhood. It is for this reason her sound feels trapped between the future and the past because, so often, imagination is defined as looking back or looking forward. 

It makes sense that a record dedicated to Solange’s childhood years in Houston and her observance of where she wants to go avoids feelings of the present. Yet, the magic of When I Get Home is that it makes you feel present. From “Stay Flo” to “Binz” or “Almeda” every song sounds visual; as if every synth is a lightyear passing through the cosmos or every guitar string is a supernova consuming energy. The point is that Solange has made an album that you can see as you heart it, which is why she considered so avant garde. For More Information On Solange Knowles Click Here