Solange Knowles doesn't have to Cash In on sister Beyonce's reputation Beyonce's sister Solange Knowles is a talent in her own right. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Reader rating: None yet. Genre Hip Hop/RnB Performer Solange January 8, Metro Theatre You would think Solange Knowles never stood a chance, attempting to carve out a career in music in the enormous shadow of big sister Beyonce. Yet by choosing the road less pop, via more than a decade of experimenting, the 27-year-old has not only honed her own luscious take on R&B, she is as confident and technically proficient a singer as big sis - and more believably natural and playful. Would Beyonce dare to wear an outfit that results in visible armpit stains, let alone sheepishly point them out to her audience? Successful enough to have sold out this venue, the younger Knowles takes us on her musical journey, and it proves engrossing from the off. An overpowering sound mix might mean we lose the soft synth squelches at the top of opener Don't Let Me Down, but the shiny, '80s-flavoured funk emanating from the crashing drums, heavy bass and clipped guitar quickly distracts us, even more so when Knowles bounds on, a megawatt smile visible through a blur of braids that reach her knees, and lets loose her rich, soulful voice. More sublime tunes from 2012's triumphant True EP dominate the set, from a grind through a smouldering Bad Girls to the somehow retro-yet-fresh synth-fuelled soul of Losing You. There are also diversions to the skewed gospel of Knowles' newest jam, Cash In, and nothing older than a handful of formative songs from her second album, 2008's Sol-Angel and the Hadley St Dreams. Little of it sounds like the type of thing you will find at the top of mainstream charts, but it's all still effortlessly accessible, helped by a tight, engaging band that includes a guitarist and a pair of exquisitely complementary backing vocalists who occasionally join Knowles in cute mini-dance routines. But we leave in no doubt who is the star of the show. If Knowles couldn't prove any more likeable, her final flourish is as witty as it is cool. After the stage empties and the house lights go up, we hear a recording of Beyonce's Bow Down - and see a room full of music fans paying their respects to Solange.