Thursday, 25 July 2013

Nelly Furtado- The Spirit Indestructible Album Review



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Album- The Spirit Indestructible

Artist- Nelly Furtado

Nelly Furtado is one of the major successes in terms of artists from Canada who have achieved global success, epitomised by the two Grammy’s that she has to her name. She is also great in terms of the way that she has transitioned throughout her career and produced new sounds, from a folk driven pop vibe to teaming up with Timbaland for RnB, dance pop stompers and cool sensual rhythms. This album is kind of a conglomeration of all her music in that Furtado has described it as being most like her debut album Whoa Nelly!, but having the romance of Folklore, the drama of Loose, and the passion of Mi Plan. Yet does the album actually live up to this quite grand statement that Furtado makes?

Track 1- Spirit Indestructible

Described by Furtado as “an ode to the spirit which resides in all of us”, the opening number and album title track is a powerfully upbeat number in terms of the positive lyrical message, which speaks of having a spirit that is indestructible and a heart that is pure, something that we all wish to be in life. The chorus is strong and has a catchy tone, whilst the final section of the song is lyrically addictive in terms of the “AEIOU” repetitive motif. Vocally the song is really strong, with Furtado exhibiting some really powerful vocals that bring out the strong and inspiring quality of the message in a grand way. The production value of the track is also great, with producer Rodney Jerkins starting softly with simple piano instrumentation before introducing a propulsive drum beat and a military drum breakdown in the bridge that really builds for a strong finish. Perhaps a little dragged out, but this is still a big and great opening number.

4/5

Track 2- Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)

The records lead single is a song that is loaded with attitude and has a frenzied tone, featuring an RnB sound that also infuses hip hop beats and electro pop. The songs lyrical message is distilled in the title as Furtado sings about finding strength through the wearing of her big earrings. It’s a fun metaphor for being comfortable in how you look and is given gravitas by the attitude laden vocal that features an almost rap sung style, although the use of Auto Tune is a little annoying. The songs production keeps things on a simple level with the nice electro beats and cool swag tone that it brings, with the breakdown at the songs finish sounding cool, although not as impactful as it perhaps should be and a bit dragged out. The song is meant to exhibit Furtado as a free form artist, but I think it more works as a sign that she should create more well-rounded tunes.

3.5/5

Track 3- High Life (featuring Ace Primo)

Inspired partly by a breakdown the singer had on her Get Loose Tour, the song is lyrically all about chasing your dreams and looking for success away from home, but also how you cope with that success and what actually happens when you obtain. It’s a strong lyrical subject that is potent in today’s celebrity driven world, and so the song is mildly inspirational. The song is also given gravitas by the Ace Primo rap who gives a fast paced urgency to the track which emphasises the disillusionment of success. However whilst the rap section is strong, Furtado’s sections are both and good and bad, with the hook being strong but the “la la la” motif being annoying. The in the studio moments of the beginning and end are intriguing, but vocally Furtado is just okay, with the high moments coming across as annoying. The production has a dark undertone and an almost gangster sound with a handclapping back beat simple piano instrumentation that keeps the track on a simple level and nicely draws the line between happy for success and sad for success.

3/5

Track 4- Parking Lot

Featuring some cool use of horns and percussion, “Parking Lot” is an upbeat, mid tempo track that finds Furtado putting on a bit of swag within her music. The lyrics refer to Furtado’s teenage years when her and her friends would meet in the parking lot, and the quite chilled sound of the track sounds fresh and indeed has that youthful energy showing how Furtado is all about just having fun. The rap style vocal is both cool and annoying, but the chorus is strong and the tribal like calling of the post chorus “na na na” is quite catchy. And although the style is perhaps annoying, the track works well in keeping Furtado’s voice on a simple level and therefore not showing vocal insecurities. The production is strong with horns and percussion melding together to form a cool old school sound, and the track ends on a high with the military style drums. The track is also good in terms of how it is quite long but does not feel so.

3.5/5

Track 5- Something (featuring Nas)

This RnB tinged number with its clattering tone of the production has a slightly sensual version with a small amount of attitude. Vocally it finds Furtado on a strong level, keeping things on a simple level and working nicely in terms of the slow tone of the verses set against the almost feisty, repetitive chorus. Nas also provides a nice fast paced raps that offer a cool male perspective to the track in which Furtado lyrically speaks of giving her man that something that will make him feel good, as she knows what to do. The chorus can get a little annoying as you listen, but you welcome the sound of the track as this offers a change of pace to the record, with the electronic back beat and toe tapping rhythm just giving a chilled sound that makes for a cool, easy listen. The pre chorus is a little annoying, but as a whole the song works, and the end is cool with the studio moment of reminiscing of past music.

3.5/5

Track 6- Bucket List

A bucket list, as probably everyone knows, is something that you write in which you list all the things you wish to do before you die. And so from the title of the track you can pretty much get the gist of the lyrics of the song, in which Furtado mediates on personal relationships and life goals. It’s a little clichéd but Furtado pulls it off with the as the chilled essence of the song is catchy, although a more powerful chorus is perhaps needed. The track is a nice change of sound as the production is based in a simple acoustic, guitar driven melody, and so is reminiscent of Furtado’s past work. With this sound also comes one of the better vocal moments of the record, with Furtado having a light tone that brings out the message of the track nicely. The small breakdown of the bridge is cool, but the end is just plain weird and annoying.

3.5/5

Track 7- The Most Beautiful Thing (featuring Sara Tavares)

The theme of spirituality that was present in the songs title track comes back with this number where we find Furtado singing of how everyone is so powerful in life and is searching for something, and how this person (perhaps the listener) is apparently the most beautiful thing, although rather in spirit rather than looks. It’s a nice sentiment, and the sound of the track with the electro synths and clattering back beat is strong. But the lilting and slow tone of the singer is just incredibly annoying and uninspiring, with the track easily becoming skippable after 30 seconds. The final section of the track in which a girl narrates writing into her diary is cool and brings the message of spirituality out strongly, but by that point it is too late.

2/5

Track 8- Waiting for the Night 

From the laidback rhythms of the previous number we are more prominently transferred back to a mid tempo state, with this track being inspired by a diary the singer kept as a smitten sixteen year old on holiday in Portugal. The song simply invokes the idea of a love struck teenager, with the verses being almost fairy-tale like, whilst the chorus has a punchy quality where Furtado sings of waiting for the night, presumably when her and her beau can be together. The song is vocally ok, kept on a simple level but not commanding your attention in the way that it should. However the sound of the track is very cool, with producer Rodney Jerkins melding a dominant dance and electro pop sound with harps and bagpipes and an all-round folk energy that is quite catchy. The chorus is repetitive, but the track works in bringing the record back to a better form.

3/5

Track 9- Miracles

Furtado’s inspiration from her travels comes out very strongly with this track from the very beginning with it’s twangy riffs that sound like they were brought straight out of India with from her travels. The song has a slightly melancholic but also hopeful energy as Furtado sings of her desperation for this person to bring her to their level, as she believes in them and their spirituality. Vocally the singer is strong as the deep tone of the track is powerful, and the harmonization of the chorus is strong, with the bridge of the song showing how she does indeed have some power in force. However whilst the vocals are strong, on this occasion the production suffers a little. Although the melding of propulsive electronic back beats with Eastern influences sounds intriguing, as a package the song is too overpowering and so you can easily become bored.

3/5

Track 10- Circles              

This track works well in terms of how it kind of shows Furtado pushing her sound a little with the distorted nature of the production. That it is not to say this is a frenzied track, but that simple the bassline of the song is a cool electronic swish. The production value is definitely the best part of this track, with the twinkling electro pop sounds working well to bring out the almost sweet message of the track. The bass in the bridge is quite powerful, and as whole this feels like one of the best tracks in terms of being a well-rounded number. The singer lyrically speaks of a relationship in which she knows they can pull through if they break this circle of not talking, and although it lacks a strong hook, the lyrics are catchy, and are helped by the vocal performance which features some nice harmonization and a light tone that brings freshness to this point in the record.

3/5

Track 11- Enemy

A more dark tone can be observed with this track that shows a different side of the singer and is a welcome change in the record. The song is quite deep lyrically as Furtado sings of how this person makes her feel so strongly that they are like her enemy, whilst she also struggles with herself. The song is kept on a simple level vocally and is nice in terms of its vocally layering. The production is also strong, keeping tings quite simple but powerful with a thumping drum beat as the base of the production with the adding of cool string moments that add a touch of drama. The song’s weakness lies in the lyrical repetition, but as a whole package it is strong, with the final section allowing her to show some vocal power and really emphasise the dark sentiment of the track.

3.5/5

Track 12- Believers (Arab Spring)

The final track keeps with the spiritual theme that is prominent within the track, as lyrically the track finds Furtado in a despairing but hopeful mood as she sings of asking where those people are who can really help you in life, whilst also singing about how she will remain strong. The songs message is simple and familiar but the chorus is strong in terms of its hook driven sensibility. Vocally Furtado is strong, although the chorus perhaps stretches her voice a little. However the sound of the record makes up for this, featuring a dominant kind of rock edge with the clattering drum beats and powerful guitar riffs that suits the questioning tone of the track nicely. The track perhaps acts as a sign that she should have focused on more stripped back but still grand sounds.

3.5/5

Final Review

This album has had really poor sales and should be more prominently titled the album that showed the public had lost interest in Nelly Furtado. In listening to the record, it is not difficult to see why the record has had such a response. Primary producer Rodney Jerkins does provide god melding of genres, and on many occasions Furtado brings some nice personality to her songs and good lyrical content. However the record is marred by vocals that on more than one occasion sound babyish and lack the strength an artist like her should have, whilst the record is too heavily focused on big concepts and should have more of a balance between the deepness of spirituality and the fun of just living life. I don’t think this is as bad as record sales would have you believe, but it’s definitely a sign that she needs to really put in the work to get back to her former musical glory.

5/10

Best Track- Spirit Indestructible

Worst Track- The Most Beautiful Thing (featuring Sara Tavares)

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