Cherryy’s “RUN” single begins with dirty electric guitar and sparse keyboard. While still a teen, Cherryy sounds quite mature, musically speaking, for such a young person. This single is lo-fi rock that defies categorization. It’s rock, yes, but it’s also both quiet and introspective, too, which are terms not usually applied together in a sentence while describing one of music’s noisiest genres.
The track’s guitar textures bring Jack White to mind, due to their experimental nature. The song’s riff is a kind of ‘stop and start,’ hesitant one. In fact, the track comes to a full stop midway through, as though Cherryy needed to take a sudden pause in the action before soldiering on. The spooky keys on this song may remind you of Nick Cave’s angrier, more restless, dark days. These were Cave’s recordings when the jet-black haired rocker found a way to marry religion and gothic vibes into a wholly believable whole. He’s mellowed – a lot – since then, but there are moments during this nearly three-and-a-half track where Cave’s morbid artistic image may float across your mind-view.
Vocally, Cherryy sings this one with a knowingness that matches well the overall precocious nature of artist and recording. It’s observational in a manner that leads one to believe Cherryy has the subject matter of this song all figured out. Running is never a good move, unless there is a growling grizzly bear on your tail. This runner in question isn’t escaping some hungry mammal. No, this sprinter is most likely getting away – far away – from problems of some sort or another.
Lyrically, Cherryy records these sung words in such a way that the listener has to really focus in order to pick up on what’s being said. The vocals most of the time sound like just another instrument in the mix, rather than something intended to sit above and separate from the rest of the instrumentation. There is also a coldness to this single’s sound that suggests electronic music. It’s not at all filled with warm thoughts. Instead, Cherryy stands aside rendering comment after comment, more like a news report than a personal story told by a friend.
Although the song is midtempo, it nevertheless has a kind of subtle groove. It’s a little bit like how Pavement might sound singing Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing,” completely in lo-fi mode. There is momentum to the way the guitar chugs along. Not like, ‘It’s an 18-wheeler, get out of the way!’ but more akin to a runaway pickup rolling your way down a steep hill.
Cherryy calls Los Angeles home now but is originally from India. You’d likely never guess Indian roots by listening to this recording, however. There’s no tabla and sitar, as it comes off more like noisy ‘90s alternative rock. Indeed, Cherryy appears to come from a universe completely unique to the artist. Curiously, Cherryy started out as a percussionist, before evolving into a singer/songwriter. If “RUN” is percussive at all, it’s in a depressant, druggy kind of way. This is woozy, morning after dance music, if it is dance-worthy at all. It is, in the end, striking and notable and should make you want to check out more of Cherryy’s music soon. Something to run to, not away from.
Dan MacIntosh, posted by Garth Thomas