Music: Desireless

Cherry’s songs are like clouds on a spring day: bright and rather lofty. Although this album could have benefited from a bit more thunder and lightning, there is a lot to admire here. Cherry addresses varied topics from drug addiction to the relationship between fathers and children; his sound, meanwhile, is a soothing mix of pop with bluesy coloring. The son of jazz trumpeter Don, and the brother of hip-hop star Neneh, Cherry is living up to the family name.

–By Christopher John Farley