The debut album from North European artist and producer Cherry Makes Waves is a genre fusion, held together by a single strong thread: the artist’s signature vocal delivery.
Its intro, “Yeah,” is brief but manages to set the stage for the stylistic diversity ahead. It is a quick transition from a rock-oriented drum beat to a highly manipulated electronic glitchy beat.
The energy elevates with “One Level Higher,” a perfect marriage of commercial vocals, a sweet, soft synth arpeggio, and powerful, early 2010s Nero-style dubstep-infused drops punctuated by slick synth leads.
The album then shifts to the acoustic side with “Regulate Your Mess.” A relatively fast, trip-hop-infused acoustic drum beat is anchored by a driving bass line and energetic delivery, building momentum toward its infectious chorus. The self-titled track, “Home by Eleven,” executes a 180-degree turn. It plunges into a pure dance-oriented sound driven by an electro beat and a prominent mid-bass synth, making it clear as you dance that the night is young. Home by eleven? Don’t think so. “Bisket Full” returns to acoustic territory, complemented by analog synth lines and electric guitars in the chorus. The track’s rhythmic core is key here: an extra drum machine beat layer enriches the groove (that nicely chaotic hi hats!!) while the catchy hook remains the central focus.
The narrative shifts to the dancefloor with “Dancing Like I Know Ya,” which tells a story of how you met. You know which night the track refes to. Everybody had that night. It’s a pop tune at its heart but the use of hard synths and dnb aesthetics in general makes it an invitation to the party’s dance space. This vibe is maintained in “Kids Chasing Clocks.” With its once again classic dnb beat section, a seriously euphoric synth theme in the chorus that is filtered in a very creative way and its simple yet effective chord progression, it is easily for us the best moment of the album. The energy remains high with “Bloody Mary.” Powerful, harsh 808s deliver a killer, unapologetically simple synth line over yet another solid dnb beat. The seriously saturated, gritty synth sounds cement this as the album’s most dark and underground club oriented work.
“Sad on Internet” keeps the saturated textures and hard synths, but the rhythm section moves into trap/future bass territory with pitch-rolling snares and a distinctive synth riff. The kick drum takes a central role, working in close synchronicity with the vocals. The album begins its descent with “Sea,” a moment of reflection. The harmony-rich vocals are accompanied by a soft, rich key layer playing arpeggios. A subtle beat eventually kicks in, marking this track as the classic ballad of the album and the moment where the vocal performance has the room and space to shine. Cherry Makes Waves says goodbye with “High & Dry,” a soul-trap infused track where deep 808s meet a classic hip-hop beat and commercial melodic lines. The final chorus incorporates an intriguing melodic riff and some warm string arrangements, providing the ideal end of the album.
Ultimately, this is an album that uses the artist’s voice as a binding agent to explore an interesting variety of different sounds. And it has something for almost everyone.
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