I've always had a slight apprehension towards holding the famous as role models, finding it much more rewarding to seek inspiration in the every day acquaintances that offer a much greater connection to the personal. With Neneh Cherry, however, I have to make an exception. I have always greatly admired Neneh's fierce take on the world. Here is a woman that has decidedly marked out her own path, and after taking a hiatus of 18 years in order to raise her children, she is back with an album that speaks volumes of her long departed pop days.
First, it must be noted at how refreshing it is to see a successful female musician place the reasoning for her stint away from the musical world upon the fact that she didn't want to see her kids raised by other people. In a world that advocates the image of the woman who does it all, holding down a career while raising a family, there remains a lack of acknowledgement for the validation of choosing motherhood as a full time occupation. It seems strange to argue against how rewarding bringing new people into the world and watching them grow is, yet it seems to take a backseat to the depiction of the career woman striving to take on the business world. Though there are certainly arguments towards the cruciality of breaking the ever ominous glass ceiling, the core of equality is having the option to make those choices for yourself. Either way, at a time when artists such as Beyonce are placed in the limelight for being forward thinking when it comes to feminism, Neneh Cherry offers a true indication of what it is to pioneer women's liberation.
The arrival of Neneh's fourth solo album sees a transformation from her chart-topping youth. Produced by Four Tet's Keiran Hebden, the record takes a much more minimalist approach which allows Neneh's artistic flare to really take the forefront. A greater appreciation can be taken for the depth of her voice, which seems to have only strengthened in her time away from recording, and the sculpted lyrics that transcend topics such as the death of Cherry's mother and her menstrual cycle can be fully absorbed without an excess of embellishments. A far cry from the commercialisation of modern music, here are songs that actually have something to say for themselves. The artistic composition of the entire work is such that it resonates, leaving traces upon the person at mercy to its wonders. We can thank our lucky stars that Neneh is back, for here is a lady that will certainly transform the current state of modern music, remoulding it into something really worth caring about.
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