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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