Blank Project
Following the intensity of *The Cherry Thing* (Neneh Cherry’s collaboration with the Scandinavian free jazz group The Thing), *Blank Project* is a much grittier affair. The album was recorded and mixed over a period of five days, with a goal of completing two tracks a day; it speaks to the heart of Cherry’s warring desires of love and lust, responsibility and freedom. Her artistic side dominates this work with RocketNumberNine and Thomas and Benjamin Page, all of whom are kept in sharp focus by producer Four Tet (Kieran Hebden), who keeps the sounds raw and dry. “Across the Water” opens the album with Cherry’s gentle voice and a slow, methodical beat. The title track expands the sound, slightly. Aggressive synths accompany her beats and poetry, capturing a demanding beatnik atmosphere that confronts matters of desire. As an artist who grew up as friends with Ari Up of The Slits, Cherry believes in leaving blood on the tracks. Even the inclusion of pop-singer friend Robyn for “Out of the Black” doesn’t smooth the rough edges. Nope. Cherry wants you to feel every second of the experience and to savor the sweet moments that come about through the artistic process.
The unclassifiable singer's Blank Project isn’t a roaring, triumphant return to form. Instead, the Four Tet-produced record is understated to the extreme, a master class in the ways in which simple pleasures can become fascinatingly deep.
Eighteen years on from her last solo album, Neneh Cherry returns with an honest and raw record that is simply stunning from start to end.
Anyone tempted to write off Neneh Cherry as a mainstream pop artist needs to check their history. In many ways, this understated, stripped return to the fray, produced by Four Tet, is long overdue
Not one to be rushed-it's almost a quarter of a century since the release of her debut Raw Like Sushi and 16 years since her last solo release-Blank Project marks the long overdue return of Neneh Cherry.
Neneh Cherry’s first solo album in 18 years is a fantastically rich combination of organic and synthetic sounds, writes <strong>Molloy Woodcraft</strong>
Blank Project’s emotional content nearly suggests not only a second act, but a second debut.
Those who only know Neneh Cherry's pop hits might be surprised by this decidedly leftfield album, but it's a bold work that suits her well, writes <strong>Alexis Petridis</strong>
Neneh Cherry - Blank Project review: Blank Project overflows with daring experimentation, but its tremendous appeal also lies in Cherry's intensely personal musings that lend the record its emotional heft.
If you can put up with the clichéd lyrics, Neneh Cherry's latest album has a lot to offer, says Helen Brown