“I am ready to have every listener step into my very personal field of dreams, minus the preconceived notions,” Solange Knowles writes.

Considering her past, it is somewhat impossible to achieve this while listening to her newest album, “Sol-AngeL and the Hadley Street Dreams.”

Knowles’s career began as a back-up dancer for Destiny’s Child. She then contributed lyrics to Kelly Rowland’s debut album and continued to work with members of Destiny’s Child, including co-writing tunes for Beyoncé, Michelle Williams and Rowland.

But, Solange sings, in an effort to distance herself from Beyonce: “I’m not her, and never will be.”

“God Given Name” is the first track on Solange’s second studio album. It is the chance she could have taken to wow listeners with her vocal abilities, musical message or that song writing she seems to love so much. Instead, she kicks off her ambitiously-titled album with an echoing, dreamy (not the good kind), breathy proclamation that she is not, in fact, her sister.

The mistake here is that instead of separating her from Beyoncé, she only invites comparison. And there really is none.

Superficially, the album is confusing.

The album art and liner notes feature Solange in a series of ridiculous, feathered get-ups paired with too-bold lip color (yellow, really?) that seem to aim to turn a pretty girl into a lifeless caricature of an entertainer. Then there is the apparently irresistible play on her name, “Sol-Angel,” sans pronunciation guide.

Inside, there are some catchy numbers (“Sand castle Disco,” “I Decided Pt. 2,” “Would’ve Been the One,”) though they are overly-synthesized. The lyrics aren’t outstanding for someone who considers herself so much a songwriter – how clever is it in “Dancing in the Dark” to rhyme “reasons” with “season”?

Perhaps props can be given for experimentation – “This Bird” and “Cosmic Journey” are both longer than six minutes and attempt to live up to the “cosmic” part. But “This Bird” falls flat for a song inspired by aerial creatures and flying.

Every time that Knowles tried to wow the ears with a vocal solo, I couldn’t help but wish that Beyoncé would jump in and save the song. Solange just didn’t inherit the same pipes her sister did – or the same musical presence, persona or confidence.

She is at her best when not trying to impress. Songs like “Dancing in the Dark” that at least sound like they feature real instruments outshine the more electronic ones, especially considering the retro feel she claims to be aiming to capture.

The lyrics aren’t profound. The vocals aren’t powerful. Solange claims influences such as Otis Redding and The Supremes, but doesn’t channel any of the soul.

Her aspirations might be in the right place, but they could benefit from better execution, less synthesized instrumentation and a realistic grasp of her own abilities.