Neneh Cherry doesn't get into the studio nearly often enough. Three years passed before the British singer/rapper came out with a second album. Thankfully, she more than lived up to the tremendous promise of
Raw Like Sushi on the equally magnificent and risk-taking
Homebrew.
Cherry shows no signs of the dreaded sophomore slump -- everything here is a gem. She triumphs with a seamless and unorthodox blend of hip-hop, R&B, dance music, and pop, and on "Money Love" and "Trout," the presence of
R.E.M.'s
Michael Stipe brings rock to the eclectic mix. As humorous as
Cherry can be, her reflections on relationships and social issues are often quite pointed. While "Money Love" decries the evils of materialism, the moving "I Ain't Gone Under Yet" describes an inner-city woman's determination not to be brought down by the poverty and drugs that surround her. And "Twisted" is about keeping yourself sane in a world gone insane. Unfortunately,
Homebrew wasn't the commercial breakthrough
Cherry was more than deserving of. ~ Alex Henderson