Neneh Cherry

Blank Project

Smalltown Supersound

Street: 02.25

Neneh Cherry = Tricky + Ani DiFranco

You might be surprised to know that Neneh Cherry’s 1988 record, Raw Like Sushi, is bad as fuck. Still, I’m not losing my cool over the prospect of a new record by her. When I heard that Four Tet was producing it, though, that piqued my interest. In retrospect, I should have known better. Cherry didn’t go 15 years without making an album because she was bursting with creative energy. Blank Project doesn’t do her legacy any favors. While Cherry does seem to have a lot to get off her chest, none of it is presented in a compelling way. To put it bluntly, Cherry is no longer a charismatic vocalist. Four Tet responds appropriately by not wasting any otherwise valuable beats on this misguided, hookless enterprise. Not only are there no moments here worth remembering, after several spins, there isn’t anything I could recall even if I wanted to. –Dan Vesper