Originally a side project of the production duo The Neptunes, N*E*R*D gained notoriety for blending beat-making prowess with heavy rock influences. Over their last four albums, however, the band has gravitated away from rock and toward a more danceable sound. This parallels the path that The Neptunes have followed, shifting their focus from working with hip-hop acts like The Clipse, Jay-Z, and Mystikal to more pop artists like Justin Timberlake, Sean Paul, and Shakira. The increased exposure to mainstream pop has taken its toll on N*E*R*D, who’s newest album, Nothing, reeks of recycled radio hits.
Rather than rapping over the beat, N*E*R*D frontman Pharrell now seems more comfortable singing about dance clubs and sweaty nightlife—even though he claims on the group’s website that he “[doesn’t] sing sexy shit, but sing about real shit in a sexy way.” The track “I Wanna Jam” sounds like a poor man’s Gnarls Barkley, and features such asinine lyrics as, “I came to jam tonight, and I came to party, I came to jam tonight, life makes me horny.”
“I’ve Seen The Light/Inside the Clouds” also sounds oddly familiar. With a high-pitched, harmonious chorus and Halloween-esque saxophone beat, it too feels like it was lifted straight out of a Gnarls Barkley track.
Pharrell and Co. also clearly hope to mimic the Black Eyed Peas’ model for success. In late 2009, Pharrell added singer Rhea to the band, a move reminiscent of the Black Eyed Peas’ 2003 addition of Fergie. The N*E*R*D-Rhea combination didn’t pan out, however. She was kicked out of the group in early 2010, making room for female guest vocalist Nelly Furtado on the Nothing’s first single “Hot-n-Fun.” It’s got a bouncy baseline and an infectious hook, but like the rest of the album, it’s lyrically vacuous.
What’s most disappointing about Nothing isn’t the triviality of the music, but the lack of individuality. N*E*R*D has prided itself on bending genre conventions to create its own sound that is unconventional and challenging. Nothing is the complete opposite of that principle. The band has put together a series of tracks that sound exactly like what you already hear every Friday and Saturday night at Village A parties. The album is decent, danceable, but completely predictable.
Voice’s Choices: “I’ve Seen the Light/Inside the Clouds,” “Victory”
N*E*R*D’s “In Search Of” is one of my favorite albums of all time. they sang about love and relationships and many different ‘real life’ subjects. as A DJ i appreciate pharrell for his genius and ability to make popular music. But there was always a noticeable difference from the Popular neptunes stuff and the N*e*r*d tracks. I have not listened to “nothing” yet, but i will buy it and add it to the collection, hoping there is at least one cut on there that remains true to the admittedly Different & weird but beautiful style that has made n*e*r*d great! thanks for this review!