Album Review: Cherry Makes Waves – 90 Beats Per Minute
How many beats per minute is enough? Depends on what you're looking for. If the plan is to "get as high as you can", like the spaceman from the eponymous track on the latest EP by Latvian-born electronic pop artist Cherry Makes Waves, then 90 Beats Per Minute is the perfect choice. This brave decision gave the name to the EP itself. So let's dive as deep as we can into the world of the record just to get as high as we can – and, of course, write about the experience!
Spaceman takes no prisoners. The EP starts with washy synths bringing to mind unsettling 90s New Age from the likes of Deep Forest, Equa and Aereda (the latter two are not on streaming services, sorry!). The spooky mood created by the intro is then enriched and expanded by spiky guitar arpeggios and CMW's captivating vocals that instantly reminded us of classic Kate Bush records.
Phaeton is builty around a snaky riff and hollow resonating textures somewhere in the background. The rattling percussion and rhythmic noises that sound like alchemically processed guitars add to the general sense of danger.
BIG LEAGUE takes all the familiar sounds from the previous tracks and throws them on a relentlessly thumping disco beat. The resulting composition turns out ritualistic, especially when the repetitive mallet sounds kick in and later when the vocals start to mutate into dark and powerful spells.
Home (Complete) is a slowly evolving sensual ballad marked by resonating textures and confessional vocals. It sort of cleanses the palate before the closing eponymous track that takes you on a ride through the desert, bathing you in soft whispers, sultry synth tones and a tireless percussive pattern.
Overall, the EP is a beautifully surprising marriage of all the elements many of the music lovers have in their DNA: reverberated 80s synths, crisp drum beats, mindblowingly expressive vocals hinting on magical powers, catchy riffs and textural goodness. However, no one has brought all of these elements together to create a truly nuclear cocktail that takes you by the throat from the very first second and doesn't let go, never fading into the background, even for a second. Until Cherry Makes Waves came. And made waves. And the waves reached our hearts and minds, changing them forever with a spark of musical magic.
Spaceman takes no prisoners. The EP starts with washy synths bringing to mind unsettling 90s New Age from the likes of Deep Forest, Equa and Aereda (the latter two are not on streaming services, sorry!). The spooky mood created by the intro is then enriched and expanded by spiky guitar arpeggios and CMW's captivating vocals that instantly reminded us of classic Kate Bush records.
Phaeton is builty around a snaky riff and hollow resonating textures somewhere in the background. The rattling percussion and rhythmic noises that sound like alchemically processed guitars add to the general sense of danger.
BIG LEAGUE takes all the familiar sounds from the previous tracks and throws them on a relentlessly thumping disco beat. The resulting composition turns out ritualistic, especially when the repetitive mallet sounds kick in and later when the vocals start to mutate into dark and powerful spells.
Home (Complete) is a slowly evolving sensual ballad marked by resonating textures and confessional vocals. It sort of cleanses the palate before the closing eponymous track that takes you on a ride through the desert, bathing you in soft whispers, sultry synth tones and a tireless percussive pattern.
Overall, the EP is a beautifully surprising marriage of all the elements many of the music lovers have in their DNA: reverberated 80s synths, crisp drum beats, mindblowingly expressive vocals hinting on magical powers, catchy riffs and textural goodness. However, no one has brought all of these elements together to create a truly nuclear cocktail that takes you by the throat from the very first second and doesn't let go, never fading into the background, even for a second. Until Cherry Makes Waves came. And made waves. And the waves reached our hearts and minds, changing them forever with a spark of musical magic.