Solange’s A Seat at the Table is a terrific album. Much like Thursday’s War All The Time, this is an album meant to be experienced from front to back, an art piece that is more than the sum of its parts.
Throughout A Seat at the Table Solange invites us into her home to discuss the experience of black womanhood in America. It is joyful, painful, and hopeful, all in the same breath.
The musical performance here is superb. Probably best described as psychedelic R&B, the band lays down gorgeous vignettes of sound. The bass’ thickness serves as a distinct counterpoint to Solange’s wistful soprano, as pianos and synths lay in the background adding tiny exclamation points of texture. It all sounds so wonderfully intimate, especially with the choice to layer in multi-tracked harmonies that gives each song a distinct widescreen width.
The choice to include interludes of stories from family members and friends throughout the album is a purposeful choice reflected in the album’s title. A Seat at the Table is not only a demand to have her voice heard, is also an invitation to sit at her table and hear the stories from her family. These first-hand narrated experiences of provide a context that lends even more weight to the themes of racism, belonging, and agency covered in each song. The interludes are not just simply a value add to the entire experience– they are the foundation for it.
A Seat at the Table is a complete album in the highest regard, filled with the depth of a novel and the ear worms of a Top 40 hit. Quite simply, it is a must-listen.
Standout Songs: “Cranes in the Sky”, “Where Do We Go”, “Don’t Touch My Hair”, “Junie”
