Cherish: The Truth
Friday, 23 May 2008 08:33
EMI, out May 26th.
In a nutshell...
Slick, sexy, unoriginal, over-produced, harmless.
What's it all about?
The album has 11 tracks and includes quite a few collaborations, which helps distinguish one track from another; many sound almost identical otherwise. There seems to be a clear line drawn between those songs with single potential, and album only tracks or B-sides. A harsh observer might comment that the standout tracks do so mainly because they are positioned next to such weaker songs.
Who's it by?
Cherish released their first album Unappreciated in 2006, which spurned the single Do It To It. Like Destiny's Child, Cherish are managed by their father, who (unlike Mr Knowles) once toured with Earth Wind and Fire. Farrah, Felisha, Neosha and Fallon are sisters, and were raised as part of a very musical family, singing professionally since their childhood years. They pride themselves on taking the reigns for much of the songwriting, although they have had help on certain tracks from the likes of The Dream, who penned Umbrella for Rhianna, among other hits.
As an example...
"When I come home, I'm a superstar/Even if no records were sold, I'm a superstar... "
"Shorty is a killa/But it really don't matter/Cos I really wanna/Tonight."
The lyrics are definitely not the high point of this album. That said, as is common within this genre, the writers occasionally hit upon a note of childlike honesty with their colloquial, conversational lyrics.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys?
There is such a grinding catchiness to the standout tracks on The Truth that, coupled with the cool glamour of the production and the good looks of the band members, it would be surprising if the album didn't attract a fair amount of attention. However, much of the appeal comes from the band's gritty hip-hop feel, and the slick beats; whether the songwriting and the vocal performances could actually stand up to deep critical scrutiny is less certain. In fact, the biggest fans are likely to be 14-year-old white English girls who wish they'd been born in Brooklyn with a tan.
What the others say
"I have always liked Cherish, they remind me of Destiny's Child, and while they are not the world's greatest musicians, they make some cool tunes." – Urban Review
"Robustly funky." – Blues & Soul Music Magazine
So is it any good?
Bits of it are. The lead off single, Killa, is a very pleasant piece of R 'n' B pop music, perfect for pumping up loud as you get dressed for a night out with your girlfriends, while the Jamelia-like Framed Out has an almost anthemic quality which will surely get you moving and singing along. And the clear gem of the album, Superstar, is actually beautiful, although slightly reminiscent of Kelis' hit Lil Star, and even this will shock nobody with its Ne-Yo-style beats and easy melodies.
However, while many of the other songs would be great to grind to in a club, they boast very modest amounts of actual creative merit. I Ain't Trippin sounds like a bland cousin to one of Destiny's Child's early hits, Love Sick and Damages both sound like TLC without the sass, and Notice reminds me of a Jennifer Lopez album track, which, in case you've never personally had the misfortune to listen to a whole J-Lo album, is not exactly a compliment.
The slightly below average songwriting talents rely heavily on skillful production to sound interesting, and while the vocal performances are not bad, they do not stun. In short, Cherish are a bit like Destiny's Child without Beyonce. Which basically makes them a bunch of very hot girls who can vaguely sing.
5/10
Louise McCudden
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