N*E*R*D is a hip-hop/rock trio consisting of Pharrell Williams (sure you’ve heard of that guy), Chad Hugo, and Shay Haley, and this is their 5th studio album, and first since 2010. It’s also home to their first song to enter onto the Billboard Hot 100, as the opening track “Lemon” has thus far peaked at #36 on the chart. Now, I myself haven’t really heard of the group, and I’m not too familiar with their previous records, but this album admittedly intrigued me. For one, a third of their group is Pharrell, who’s kind of a big deal, I mean, he's had an illustrious career not only as a performer but as a producer. Chances are, even if you haven’t HEARD him on an album, he’s still been involved in some way with the production of several big albums. That alone fascinates me, but then when I hear that the album features artists like Kendrick Lamar, André 3000, Future, Gucci Mane, Rihanna, and Ed Sheeran, you automatically have my attention. Let’s see, though, if N*E*R*D will keep my attention:
Lemon (ft. Rihanna): The song from this album that has gained the most traction, N*E*R*D enlists the help of Rihanna on this one, a vaguely political track with a lot of bounce to it. I mean, obviously, with a refrain that says “bouncin’ around, bouncin’ around, bouncin’,” there should be some bounce, but this one really brings that bounce. It has some really interesting, glitchy production, I like Pharrell’s very charismatic performance, and Rihanna reminds everyone here that she has some great rapping flow. Also, that opening lyric “the truth will set you free, but first, it'll piss you off” is actually hilarious in the best way. Yeah, good track!
Deep Down Body Thurst: One of the few songs on this record that doesn’t have a feature, N*E*R*D speaks on this track about corporate and political corruption, and they do that over an instrumental that doesn’t start as brightly or as bouncily as the last track, but eventually explodes on the hook. There are some really cool guitars on said hook, and I like Pharrell’s more light vocals on the verses. He also comes through with some very emphatic chants on the hook, and it adds some really cool variance to the song. The very pronounced and really sweet click-clack production on the outro is only icing on the cake. Another great track!
Voilà (ft. Gucci Mane and Wale): N*E*R*D brings in Gucci Mane and Wale on this track to talk about magic. Abracadabra indeed. Anyway, I’m not all that crazy about Gucci’s vocals on the hook (I don’t really think Gucci’s much of a “hook master” at all), nor am I really digging Pharrell’s more pitched-up vocals on it either, but I do like his robot-filtered vocals later on alongside his energetic chants on his verse. He’s the real highlight of this song because, outside of that pitched-up beginning, his vocal performance is really varied and he blends well with the cool guitars on this one. I also really like how the song changes to something more tropical-sounding in the end, though I’m not as crazy about Wale’s performance. Not a bad track, but I do think it has some problems.
1000 (ft. Future): A song about fame and how life has changed N*E*R*D and featured rapper Future, for better and worse, this cut features a very energetic, bouncy instrumental, and it's really a highlight of the album. Pharrell’s chants on his verse feel kind of reminiscent of something like “Whip It” by Devo (those chants really work on this one), and even if Future’s performance doesn’t sound much different from a lot of his other verses, his vocals mesh incredibly with the instrumentals here! Shay Haley also has a lot of fun on his verse, and his flow is really interesting! I really love this track a lot!
Don’t Don’t Do It! (ft. Kendrick Lamar): You had to know I was looking forward to the Kendrick feature. Obviously, he’s one of my favorite rappers, anytime you call him in, you have my undivided attention. And the result is a track that sees Pharrell and Kendrick talk about the shooting of 43-year old Keith Lamont Scott in North Carolina. I like the fast-paced feel of the song and the great mix of vibes, as it feels both jazzy and rocking, and Pharrell’s vocals remain energetic and varied throughout here, as she switches pretty well between some smooth singing and more emphatic chants. And Kendrick’s rapid-fire flow is as strong as ever, as is his very charismatic vocal performance. Yet another great track!
ESP: Another more subtly political track that talks about having energy but not using it, this one actually sonically feels like a previous Pharrell hit song, “Blurred Lines” but with some more glitchy, electronic production. I once again find Pharrell’s vocals to be very charismatic here, and the track has a really cool vibe to it. It’s danceable but also a bit creepy-sounding, and even though Shay Haley’s appearance is very short (you almost forget he’s there), he and Pharrell have some solid vocal interplay on Shay’s verse. Good song!
Lightning Fire Magic Prayer: Not gonna lie, I gulped when I saw that this song was 7 minutes long. Songs of that length always scare me, real talk. The song is divided into two parts, though, and Pharrell talks throughout the track about the idea of world peace. What’s very impressive is that he manages to do it more subtly, without feeling like he’s just saying “can’t we all just get along?” Part 1 is a somewhat darker but very trap-flavored song with some smooth autotune-assisted vocals from Pharrell, but with the same fun sonic quirks that have made this album a success so far. I really enjoyed Part 1 a lot, and Part 2 brightens things up a lot while keeping the trap feel alive. It’s very danceable and easy to head-nod to, and Pharrell’s vocals remain very smooth on it. Overall, even despite the length, this is easily one of the best tracks on the album.
Rollinem 7’s (ft. André 3000): A very glitchy track that features none other than André 3000 of Outkast, Pharrell talks on here about his riches and how he has nothing to lose, and he does it over some, as I said before, very glitchy, somewhat overbearing production that, while interesting, sort of sounds like it has too much going on at once. Also, while the production is cool enough, it does kind of drown out some of Pharrell’s vocal charm (outside of his chants on the verses, of course). There’s definitely some enjoyment to this track, especially after the feel change where things become jazzier, and André 3000 proves that he’s still got energy, charisma, and flow, but it’s just not one of my personal favorites on the record. Definitely not one of the worsts, though, and there’s definitely some fun to be had with it.
Kites (ft. Kendrick Lamar and M.I.A.): Kendrick returns for one more track (and he’s joined by British rapper M.I.A.), as N*E*R*D and the aforementioned features use kites as a symbol of overcoming barriers and sending messages of hope and encouragement. The track does take some very interesting sonic twists and turns, showing no fear in changing the tempo and feel entirely throughout, and Pharrell remains as emphatic as ever on this one. M.I.A.’s hook is nothing all that special, but Kendrick comes through on this one with another really strong verse filled with energy and strong flow, and also some great back-and-forth interplay with Pharrell. M.I.A.’s verse at the end does start to feel a bit repetitive, but she still has some solid energy overall. Not one of my favorites on the album, but it’s a solid track overall.
Secret Life of Tigers: The final track on the record that doesn’t have a feature, this one is once again very upbeat and dance-y, as Pharrell portrays a character raised by a very strict, conservative family that he couldn’t disagree with more. I once again like the upbeat production on this one, and I can kind of relate to the feeling of political conversations with family becoming one-sided. I’m not really all that crazy about the whole “this the madness, this the madness, this the madness” thing that’s going on in the hook, but I still like Pharrell’s chants and energy throughout the song. Not the best that this album has to offer, but there is some enjoyment to be had with the track.
Lifting You (ft. Ed Sheeran): As he’s one of my favorite artists, N*E*R*D couldn’t have picked a better feature to end this record with, as Ed Sheeran joins the group here to talk about people who talk down on others, and how their down-talk on someone only brings more attention and love to the person being picked on. I’m not sure if that’s how it worked for me in middle school, but I get what they’re saying. In any case, I like the click-clack percussion on this one, and the song has a really cool vibe to it. The electronic production is kind of atmospheric and relaxing, and Pharrell’s vocals are nice, even as he jumps into his falsetto. Same can be said for Ed, who jumps into his higher register, but still sounds good as he does it. Both of them mesh well with the instrumentals here, and this track definitely serves as a nice conclusion to the album.
Overall, while “NO_ONE EVER REALLY DIES” doesn’t quite end as brilliantly as it started (it still ends well, it's just that some of the last few tracks aren't quite as strong), N*E*R*D comes through on this record with some very neat, glitchy, electronic production, and while Pharrell seems to take the lead more on vocals than Shay Haley, he proves on this album that he has plenty of energy and vocal charm to spare, as he gives us plenty of emphatic performances throughout the record. And even though Shay’s presence is downplayed compared to Pharrell, he does have some good moments when he does appear, and the group proves to have an ear for strong features. Special shoutout to that Future track “1000,” because not only was it probably my favorite song on the record, but I think they managed to blend Future’s vocals perfectly with the production on that one, and that alone deserves kudos. Obviously, this isn’t a traditional hip-hop record by any stretch (that’s why it’s EXPERIMENTAL HIP-HOP, after all), so don’t go into it expecting something you’ve heard before, but definitely expect to have a lot of fun with a vast majority of these tracks. Pharrell, Shay, and Chad Hugo really come through with a series of songs that, while being danceable and easy to turn up to, also have some very interesting lyrical themes under the hood. I highly suggest checking it out and, to the friend of mine that requested that I review this…thank you.
Now that N*E*R*D is out of the way, stay tuned, because reviews 98, 99, and 100 will be of BROCKHAMPTON’s “SATURATION” trilogy. I’ve received a lot of requests and recommendations for it, so…that’s up next.
Favorite tracks: Lemon, Deep Down Body Thurst, 1000, Don’t Don’t Do It!, ESP, Lightning Fire Magic Prayer, Lifting You
Least favorite tracks: Voilà (if I had to pick one)
Rating: Excellent
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