Search - Cheri Dennis :: In and Out of Love

A surprisingly good album.

W. E. Phillips | USA | 04/12/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Oh, how an artist signed to Bad Boy Records suffers and waits. Cheri Dennis has been signed to the label since 2001, or possibly even earlier, and she has not seen any of her hard work or time come to fruition until now? Well, I must give her props for patience! In the fall of 2005, she finally released her debut single "I Love You," which was a minor hit. It's an alright track, but definitely not the type I would introduce an artist to the world with, especially since Jim Jones and Yung Joc took time away from Dennis showcasing herself. Anyways, after a week or two, that song came and went. A slew of new artists and albums came out on Diddy's label--including himself and Danity Kane--yet Dennis was put on the back burner and it seemed she would most likely drop off the face of the earth without ever having a disc with her name on it. However, around November of last year a video for "Portrait of Love" came out of nowhere. It was a very new sound for her and quite refreshing to my ears; it's a laid-back, 80's synth pop inspired groove that is undeniably catchy. It fared a little better on R&B outlets and channels like VH1 Soul, but it still didn't make much impact elsewhere. A few days later, the album In & Out of Love was released... only on iTunes, though. Imagine that: six plus years of sitting around for an iTunes only release! Luckily for me and many others who prefer having physical releases, this was eventually released in CD form in February 2008.



To be completely honest, although I really had been anticipating this album since 2005, I also really wasn't expecting much. At most, I thought it would be an average album with standard female R&B fare without much personality; at worst, it would be a typical Bad Boy release with a few good songs and a whole lot of filler. Anyways, I bought this the day it came out, but it actually took me a month or two to actually listen to any of it. (I was a little pre-occupied with the new Erykah Badu joint.) But when I did finally give the disc a spin, I was pleasantly surprised.



Sure, there are a few of the same-ol'--but good ol'--formulaic female R&B songs that we've grown accustomed to over the years. There are the two or three ballads and "baby-making" tracks at the end of the album ("Showdown," "Ooh Ooh," etc.) and unnecessary rap cameos from Yung Joc, Jim Jones, and Gorilla Zoe; still, there are also an equal amount of tracks where Dennis steps out of the box a little bit and makes a stellar track. "Portrait of Love" is one of those to me and even after hearing this song way too many times--and I mean way too many times--it still appeals to me. "Remind You," which I believe may have been the third single, packs a punch with horns, staccato piano notes, and quite forceful vocals and lyrics filled with attitude that I wasn't expecting from her. "All I Wanna Do" and "Dropping Out of Love" both are mid-tempos with bouncy grooves that remind me of something I can't quite put my finger on. (A modern version of What's the 411?, possibly?) "Pretend" is a heart wrenching and dramatic power-ballad drenched with soul and nice harmonies. Both interludes are fantastic and I wish they were extended into full songs. However, "Spaced Out" is by far my absolute favorite track of this set. I see that other reviewers aren't really feeling it but I cannot resist. The production sounds a bit like the Neptunes full of spacy synths and crisp percussion. The song is like something Kelis, Outkast, or maybe even Janelle Monae would do. Even the lyrics are quirky and Dennis owns the track, unapologetically bragging about her unique swagger that is lightyears ahead of everyone else's. To put it quite simply, it is three minutes and forty seconds of pure, other-worldly perfection on my ears. Also, most of the production on this album is top-notch quality stuff. Ironically, some of the most underwhelming beats here to me are on the Timbaland-produced "Act Like You Know."



The bottom line: I didn't expect much from this album quite honestly, especially after all the delays. I thought if I was lucky it would be a decent album full of the usual female R&B clichés. (And there's not necessarily anything wrong with that if it's executed correctly... I'm a sucker for that stuff!) While this applies to a few tracks on In & Out of Love, there are just as many tracks that bravely venture out into a bit more daring territory and that's when Dennis truly shines. The songs are generally great, as is the production. Cheri's vocals sometimes get a little thin, but at most points, her instrument is strong and controlled.



Key tracks: Spaced Out, Portrait of Love, Pretend, Remind You."

(3.5 Stars) Hidden Potential

Charles L. Hubbert | Milwaukee, WI | 03/07/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The name sounds familiar...and it should. Cheri Dennis has been featured as both a vocalist and songwriter on previous Bad Boy releases. She was featured on songs for Mase's Double Up and the Forever album by Diddy (then named Puff Daddy) back in 1999, The P. Diddy And The Bad Boy Family album The Saga Continues... and Olivia's self-titled release back in 2001, and later projects like Biggie's Duets album, The Black Rob Report, and most recently the song "Back Up" by Danity Kane on their debut album (Dennis co-wrote the song and originally recorded it for herself but it was later given to the supergroup to use.) Now it's her turn at the spotlight after years of being put on the back burner at Bad Boy with the release of In And Out Of Love. "I Love You" featuring Jim Jones and Yung Joc is a decent track, but nothing to write home about. "Portrait of Love" featuring Yung Joc and Gorilla Zoe sounds a bit dated with an over-emphasized bassline and annoying synthesized keyboard for the background music. "Remind You" is a great, hard-edged track that complements the raw delivery of Cheri's lyrics for the song. "All I Wanna Do" is another outstanding track that utilizes the beat from 2pac's "Got My Mind Made Up" very well. "Alright" is...well...an alright upbeat cut, while "Dropping Out of Love" is a touch better, probably because it borrows the beat from "Sky's The Limit" from The Notorious B.I.G. (which contained samples itself). "Pretend" is in the same vain as an upbeat Keyshia Cole track and you'll probably think it sounds a lot like Keyshia too. "Spaced Out" lives up to the name, leaving much to be desired after painfully listening to it the one time that it'll get played in your stereo. "Act Like You Know" is a Timbaland-laced track that also has it's oddball tendencies, but clocking in at under three minutes makes for a brief offering. "Showdown" is probably the best track on the album with a mellow, seductive melody that goex along with Cheri's brazen lyrics about getting down to business in the bedroom. "Ooh Ooh" is a nice, subdued track that has hints of old school soul throughout. She closes with the moderately enjoyable cuts "Caught Up" and "Waiting." Cheri Dennis does a respectable job on In And Out Of Love. With a little fine tuning and some serious backing from Bad Boy, Cheri Dennis could very well be the R&B superstar that we so desperately need in the music industry.

"

Good Debut

Hummingbirdee | Detroit, MI | 03/20/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Cheri Dennis has a good voice, the production is good on this debut but the lyrics are lacking. She is alot better than some of the other girls out. She is solely R&B. Overall a solid debut even if she is on Bad Boy, give her a chance.



Stand out tracks are

1. I Love You

2. Portrait of Love

3. In and Out of Love (Interlude)

4. Pretend

5. Remind You

6. Dropping Out of Love

7. Show Down

8. Ooh Ooh



Well, 8 out of the 16 tracks on the album ain't bad.

"