to listen or purchase
A prior shelved CD, a soured label deal---the four King sisters (Neosha, Farrah, Felisha and Fallon of Atlanta, GA) probably weren't the most optimistic group in 2006, but their debut release, tellingly entitled Unappreciated, garnered over half a million copies in sales and a pair of charting singles, the lovelorn title track and that summer snap jam, "Do It To It." Although the beats and lyrics were largely generic, Cherish's sweet harmonies showed undeniable potential, which is largely realized on their sophomore set, The Truth.
A prior shelved CD, a soured label deal---the four King sisters (Neosha, Farrah, Felisha and Fallon of Atlanta, GA) probably weren't the most optimistic group in 2006, but their debut release, tellingly entitled Unappreciated, garnered over half a million copies in sales and a pair of charting singles, the lovelorn title track and that summer snap jam, "Do It To It." Although the beats and lyrics were largely generic, Cherish's sweet harmonies showed undeniable potential, which is largely realized on their sophomore set, The Truth.
While it's likely that fans of the quartet are in their teens and 20's, Cherish's ripening sophistication as far as vocals and lyrics (a majority of which they co-wrote) will undoubtedly entice older R&B fans; "Killa" is a club-ready banger (featuring Yung Joc), as is the sassy, neck-swiveling "I Ain't Trippin," where the sisters dismiss an ex's new love interest: "Somehow we've grown apart, and I can't seem to find your place in my heart... it's hard and I've just seen you with another girl...." "Even if another saucy track, "Framed Out," doesn't move bodies to the dance floor, it could definitely garner the quartet a slew of endorsement deals, since many high-post designers are name-dropped throughout (Dolce, Louis Vuitton, Roc-A-Wear, Coach, etc): "Yours look fly, but they ain't like these, cuz' I don't keep nothin' but designer's on me...."
Ultimately, it's the ballads that work for (and against) The Truth. Given that they're all young ladies, it would make sense for them to include a higher number of danceable songs, so the preponderance of slow jams bogs down the collection. Still, one can't help but enjoy tracks like "Amnesia," which features some of the most angelic four-part harmony since Destiny's Child, and the taunting "Lovesick," a song that features an empowered, if retaliatory, stance after a break-up: "I got you lovesick, lovesick, and you know I'm lovin' it, listen closely, you can hear me laughing." "Notice," which finds a girl pining over a sexy stranger around the way, is conveyed sweetly enough to distract from its stalker-esque qualities; "I watch him as he comes home, wonder why he's alone---if he only knew about the girl in Number one...."
Aside from that minor misstep, The Truth demonstrates Cherish's growth as artists and as young women: there's no over-the-top sexuality, no catty 'chickenhead' drama, just pure talent. And for that fact alone, it's worthy of a slot in the changer.
By Melody Charles