NER*D :: Nothing

N*E*R*D’s latest studio album Nothing was promised to be an achievement unheard of in the history of American music; an evolution of sound, a blend of the likes of Morrison with that which the world has never even heard before. Coming from the self-proclaimed connoisseur of cool such statements are to taken with a grain of salt; Pharrell William’s record boasts as many catastrophes as triumphs. But unlike the notoriously mainstream music that Williams and fellow band member Chad Hugo produce with Neptunes, N*E*R*D* have always existed on the tenuous edge of fallibility. With experimentation comes a familiarity with failure; not only what you produce is sometimes far from accessible, but when reaching for the best you have to accept that nearly everything you produce is going to fall short of the mark.

Saying this, all the best music – and by best I mean that which not only speaks to those of its immediate era but also evolves, even seasons, with age – comes from those who are willing to accept this price. And despite Pharrell’s claims of an ability to ‘walk on water’, his work with Hugo and percussionist Shay Haley is not a product of arrogance but rather a confidence in the ability of N*E*R*D to push musical boundaries that are there to be pushed. And as Morrison, Led Zeppelin and Bill Crosby have shown – from the makers of the best; noone, especially not their music, ever really dies.

If we’re talking classic rock comparisons, I’d be more inclined to mark Nothing as a 21st Century version of A Night At the Opera. But unlike Freddie Mercury, William’s genius remains inconsistent. Nothing is built on just too many ideas, too much creativity, a broadening spectrum of musical options where hip/hop becomes funk where funk becomes dance where dance becomes drum’n’bass and drum’n’bass becomes psychedelic pop. His energy is insatiable and N*E*R*D has much to give – in a way too much to give. While the many musical elements of A Night at the Opera somehow work to make Seaside Rendezvous work with The Prophet’s Song, the daft-punk produced Hypnotize U just doesn’t quite fit with Life as a Fish. However, though perhaps not Pharrell’s intention, this is an album of singles. And in an age where it is rare to hear a single in its original context, where playlists have become the new album, Nothing becomes better for the incompatibility of its best songs.

Like all of their previous albums there is a feeling that they went with whichever idea took them on a whim. As Pharrell told Speakerboxxx ‘…when Shay, Chad and I were in the studio we surrendered to the music and what the music dictated and a lot of that music just feel’s right.’

Of the better songs of the album, the smooth talkin’ original single Hot’n’Fun featuring Nelly Furtado couldn’t be more different than the retro fun of I Wanna Jam. Percussion dominates Nothing on You while brass frames the crooning of Help Me. It’s in the Air opens with a Guns’n’Roses Civil War ‘what we’ve got here is a failure to communicate’ with the 43 second speech to Congress introducing the dirty saxophone, keys and Pharrell’s rap. Following this is Pharrell at his best in Sacred Temple. When channelled the right way the energy of N*E*R*D is infectious – and when they do hit the mark they seem capable of anything.

It’s sometimes easy to laugh at N*E*R*D’s intent but I feel that it is ignorant to do so. Their determination to be different is accompanied by an undying conviction in their ability to achieve. If Nothing does little else, it is that it further proves that N*E*R*D have the capabilities to produce music in a different league. Though there may still be room for improvement, their willingness to venture into the intrepid boundaries of uncrossed musical territory commands respect. And though it is yet to be seen whether their music will live on, it’s evident that for the time being N*E*R*D refuse to die.

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8/10 Stars.

Highlights :: 'Sacred temple', 'Hot'n'fun' & 'Nothing on you'