So much for genetics. As the son of the late avant-jazz icon Don Cherry and the brother of funk-hopping Neneh Cherry, Eagle-Eye Cherry carries a heavy legacy. Fans of the adventurous Cherry clan, then, will be disappointed by the lite-rocking Desireless, Eagle-Eye's debut album. Eschewing his sister's grooves in favor of mellow acoustic guitars, the youngest Cherry apparently hasn't met a Ben Harper song he didn't like – or rip off, down to the diluted Zeppelinisms of "Indecision" and the smokily ersatz Cat Stevens rasp he uses throughout. The mystical, corny lyrics, meanwhile, give Rod McKuen a run for his money – check out the head-scratching "Seagulls fly/When mermaids cry" chorus from "When Mermaids Cry." The album's most effective song is the title track – its Brazil-beat-meets-acid-jazz-meets-Santana-funk stands out amid the radio-friendly dross; then again, the song was written by Don Cherry and has no words, which helps. Desireless has one great achievement: It makes Dave Matthews Band sound positively edgy in comparison. (RS 794)

MATT DIEHL