You really have to pay attention to her lyrics, and not be distracted by the goodness of her voice, to understand the depth of her music and the heartfeltness that comes with it. Comparable to the Pop sensibility of the likes of Rihanna and Leona Lewis, but more soulful I would add, We Plug To You – British Songstress, Cherri Voncelle with her sophomore E.P Good Mourning Madame Rouge.
Cherri Voncelle aka and formerly known as Cherri V, recently released her Good Mourning Madame Rouge E.P in September, a follow up to her debut E.P Shades Of Red which was released last year. The new record is a 6-track E.P which features a mixture of up-tempo and laid-back soulful tracks that talk about love, heartbreak and relationships.
Best known for her 2009 collaboration with Wiley, “Skool Daze” and recently nominated in the Best Female Act category at the BEFFTA Awards 2012, Cherri has come a long way, from doing backup vocals and working the underground indie UK music scene. With beautiful looks to match, she is gaining a slow and deliberate recognition as a future mainstream music sensation. Cherri delivers on this E.P with a sassy feminine vibe that surely beats her previous work.
Let’s get to listening to three of the six songs on the Good Mourning Madame Rouge project which I would describe as short, sweet and simple collection of soulful goodness. The E.P is – thankfully – not vocally overdone and it is just right on all measures – lyrically and musically.
From her heart to our ears, languid vocals lead us into the song titled “999” which talks about an upheaval emotional relationship. As the very first song off the EP, “999” is driven by rhythmic beats that do her voice justice. The song is very well done and her smooth soulful strong vocals suit the mood and lyrics of the song. There is not a lot going on musically in the background, which is good because it gives her voice clarity. The video for “999” was recently released too and the scenes are nothing as dramatic as the song, a very simple and sexy concept of a musical soliloquy. Have a watch and a listen. Great song for anyone feeling the relationship blues. Would you agree?
‘It was stolen and broken before my eyes, go before he takes another life”
Following her E.P tracklist, the next song on Good Mourning Madame Rouge is the Wizzy Wow-produced “One Day”. Not a note out of place and again, with heavy drums and smooth ‘n’ rocky piano strings guiding her piercing vocals, Cherrie shows of her singing talent wonderfully on this one. “One Day” is about forgetting old and painful memories and getting away. One Day is essential R&B in sound and powerful in delivery, soulful yet contemporary. One day is what I would call a ‘dreamer’s song’. The ladies will love this in particular (and all of her music in general) as it is a song that speaks of freedom. With a short and emphatic hook, the song is not a long winded one.
“One Day, I pray I forgive this painful old memories, One Day One One Day… I wanna get away”
Like on previous songs, Cherri Voncelle seems to sing her thoughts aloud, like one would ‘think aloud’ which makes her music very relatable. On this next song, we travel a “1,000 miles” with her (creative song titles I must add). “1,000 miles” sounds quite Lana Del Rey-ish with a very’ film noir’ feel to Cherri’s vocals on this one. “1,000 miles”, produced and co-written by Jake Isaac (who also produced “999”) , shows off her strength and versatility in sound. Rocky guitar licks come in and out at points and the music builds up and down to let her vocals ride in and out also. Again, she talks about issues in a relationship that makes her stronger. The song ends on a deliberate and abrupt hanging piano note. This is movie sound track material for your listening pleasure…
“And it feels like I’ve gone a 1,000 miles without getting closer, and it feels like I’m being broken by what’s making me stronger”
There is no doubt about it, Cherri Voncelle’s Good Mourning Madame Rouge – which is now available on Bandcamp – is an E.P worth getting. Soulful in all, sassy in some, smooth in some, but you still get the best of Cherri Voncelle in one package. This is easy listening, amazing singer, adult AC, R&B/Soul at its best. Talented and determined, the hype is just about to start for Cherri Voncelle and we wish her higher heights with her music.
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