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#35
Neneh Cherry | Broken Politics
Smalltown Supersound
According to Patrick Corcoran: “Neneh Cherry’s fifth solo album Broken Politics could not be more aptly titled. As a new, old-world order attempts to drag itself from under the rock it was banished to, rarely can political systems across the world have seemed so utterly redundant. But for Cherry, the politics here are of the personal variety, rather than those with a big “P.”
This is not to say the state of the world is not addressed on some tracks, but rather that they are filtered through Cherry’s direct experience and leave easy platitudes to others. The great success of this album lies in its ability to weave one of two magical threads throughout, while even managing to weave both across two or three tracks.
For all the talk of grooves and politics, what is never in doubt is the intimacy that pervades across the album. Two slight spoken-word interludes give the impression of opening a video diary and eavesdropping, whilst “Faster Than The Truth” sounds like it was recorded in a cupboard in the room next door. Cherry’s voice is a major player in developing this intimacy. Half-whispered, half-sung, many lyrics feel intended for only your ears—a secret loathe to be shared with the world.”
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