N.E.R.D. - Nothing

I have to admit. I'm a closet fan of NERD. I saw them live once and ever since then I've been a fan. Well of their first two albums that is. I loved how they toured with a rock band that played their music while they sang/rapped. It was unique or it felt that way. Pharrell has an amazing voice and it worked so well with those first two albums. I don't think everyone understood what NERD was trying to do though. So they made "Seeing Sounds" which is one of my least favorite albums of all time. Does this continue that trend of growing apart from the rock sound or does it redeem one of the few R&B acts I actually like?

One of my biggest issues with the last NERD release was the lack of the NERD sound that was imprinted in my mind with two albums. Nothing teases the old sound, but never really embraces it. Although I think this time its for the best. I think this is the album they meant to make instead of the last. Its not the rock album that I was hoping for, but it feels organic enough to get by. Something that I noticed very quickly was the fact that some of these songs are very repetitive. I know thats a staple of this style of music, but it borders on annoying at times. The first song in particular will grate on your nerves. Then there are songs like "Help Me" that sound unique and have great vocal work. I have a hard time when listening to the album not thinking of Gorillaz. Some of these songs could fit very well on "Plastic Beach", "God Bless Us All" in particular. Of course there is the song featuring Nelly Furtado called "Hot and Fun" which suffers from repetitiveness as well but I'll forgive this one because Furtado is hot. All in all the album doesn't really stand out to me. It doesn't command my attention. It feels like a cheap dance album and not the fun albums of NERD's past.

I give "Nothing" 2.5 nothings out of 5

1. “Party People” feat. T.I.
2. “Hypnotize U”
3. “Help Me”
4. “Victory”
5. “Perfect Defect”
6. “I’ve Seen the Light” / “Inside of Clouds” (Interlude)
7. “God Bless Us All”
8. “Life as a Fish”
9. “Nothing on You”
10. “Hot-N-Fun” feat. Nelly Furtado

Deluxe Edition
11. “It’s in the Air”
12. “Sacred Temple”
13. “I Wanna Jam”
14. “The Man”