Oh Neneh. Buffalo Stance, Manchild, 7 Seconds and Woman are all such brilliant pop tunes, ahead of their time and inspirational to current artists. Now the Swedish-American singer has released her first solo album in nineteen years and her change of sound is likely to upset a few people.
Produced by Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden, ‘Blank Project’ is a
low-fi, sparse and abrasive record that on first listen seems worlds away from the polished hip-hop
inspired pop of her past, though you can certainly hear the roots of her sound littered throughout. The change in
style is immediately apparent from opening track Across The Water – Cherry half singing, half rapping with wavering
tuning accompanied solely by a sparse percussive beat. The lyrics are intensely personal, much of
the album inspired by the death of her mother (“since our mother’s gone it
always seems to rain”), whilst her voice ranges from wailing howls to animalistic cackling and an eerie
whisper.
It’s likely for this reason that the album’s aesthetic is so
empty, barren and angry, resulting in music that’s experimental, agitated and
psychologically offbeat. Tribal
percussion clashes with scuzzy synths and Cherry’s often pained vocal: the
menacing title track; the cowbell and melismatic singing of Naked; the driving dance rhythms of Weightless; the angular beats of Cynical; the hypnotic, hammering sounds
of Everything. There’s a similarity with last year’s ‘Shaking
The Habitual’ from that other great Swedish export, The Knife, an album that
similarly eschewed pop roots for something raw and animalistic.
The same can be said of ‘Blank Project’, which has a
distinct lack of polish. The production
is sparse to the extreme (as the title would suggest), almost sounding like a series of unfinished
demos. You can practically hear the dry
drum sounds bouncing off the studio walls.
This emptiness is clearly a purposeful decision, the harsh music confronting
the listener with challenging, dark lyrical themes that explore the deepest
abysses of the human psyche. It’s
certainly a bold change of pace, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily
pleasant to listen to. Not that music has to be pleasant at all, but with a
lack of melodic invention we’re simply left with a suffocating sense of percussive
oblivion. ‘Blank Project’ isn’t without
merit, certainly in terms of Cherry’s raw honesty and musical bravery, but not even a guest
appearance from Robyn can save the day.
3/5
Gizzle's Choice:
* Naked
* Weightless
* Everything
Listen: 'Blank Project' is available now.
