Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams (2008)

Beyoncé's little sister Solange wisely addresses the multiplatinum elephant in the room on the opening track on Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, declaring that she'll never be her superstar sibling. Thus freed from the burden of comparisons, the younger Ms. Knowles cooks up tasty variations on old-school recipes, playing with ''Baby Love''-esque beats on lead single ''I Decided,'' supple horns on ''T.O.N.Y.,'' and girl-group harmonies on ''Would've Been the One.'' Sure, Solange's occasionally nasal voice lacks the gale-force power of Beyoncé's, but the hook of ''Sandcastle Disco'' is so effortless, it's easy to imagine big sis experiencing an unexpected pang of jealousy. B+
DOWNLOAD THIS: Listen to ''Sandcastle Disco'' at the singer's MySpace page