N*E*R*D - Fly Or Die

Reaching the top of the world at 30. Pharrell Williams must think about it every day — this prodigious gift that fell from the sky onto him, this rather cumbersome yet extraordinary blessing. Or maybe, instead, he doesn't think about it at all and just goes his own way, serene, well aware that he's a winner: that's the first thought that comes to mind after listening to this "Fly Or Die", the second album from the N*E*R*D project, another mask that Williams has chosen to share with his longtime partner Hugo and the third wheel (whose role remains shrouded in the thickest fog) Shay. It's a record that, you can bet, will send their stock soaring even higher, further cementing the hype that has crowned the Neptunes as the most sought-after producers in America; worth remembering are the outrageous sums that the likes of Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes etc. shell out to have their tracks treated by the celebrated Williams-Hugo firm.

The opening is unabashedly black, an ideal continuation of what N*E*R*D had already given us in the past: funky rhythms, Prince-like falsetto and distorted guitar merge in an energetic crossover that, after a while, morphs into post-modern soul complete with prominent backing vocals ("Don't Worry About It"). Yet from the second track onward ("Fly Or Die"), it's clear that the trio led by Pharrell Williams wasn't content to simply reaffirm what they had already so brilliantly expressed on their debut, but instead chose to look ahead, beyond the confines of pure black music. So while it's true that "Fly Or Die" doesn't offer the sheer ocean of disparate influences that characterized the Outkast masterpiece, it's equally true that the three have pushed their sonic exploration a bit further, blending into their style elements that are entirely foreign to properly black music, first and foremost a highly refined pop sensibility reminiscent of the Beatles.

All the songs succeed perfectly in their aim of fusing melody and energy, and are marked, as one might expect, by top-notch arrangements, with the instruments playing off and fitting brilliantly into each other, never overdoing it, now underscoring a vocal passage, now a countermelody, or sketching out riffs that grab the ear instantly. This time the guitars, both acoustic and electric, take the lion's share, though those typically Neptunes-esque synths remain a constant presence, but what stands out most is the inventive use of the rhythm section: Williams and Hugo insist on writing songs played by a flesh-and-blood band as if they were composing with computers and samplers, and the result, especially where bass and drums are concerned, is disarming (not in an absolute sense, mind you, but relative to the thoroughly mainstream context they swim in and address): so all-tom-driven rides and handclaps become interplanetary hits ("She Wants To Move", the magnificent lead single), broken rhythms form the skeleton for energetic forays into indie pop rock ("Jump") or romantic (!!!) funk excursions in the name of love ("The Way She Dances"), soul is transfigured into a glorious march ("Maybe") and the musicians disguise themselves as drum machine and sampler ("Trasher").

An elegant, immediate work, the fruit of the not-even-that-unruly genius of Williams and Hugo, musicians of crystalline talent, capable of creating a way of making songs sound that never grows tiresome, a trademark that's always instantly recognizable and hard for others to imitate; moreover, two guys who can swim comfortably in mainstream waters and rehabilitate the image of decadent hip-pop stars with a cameo or a production credit. And don't be surprised if, one day, you see Williams dancing and singing in the new video for Britney Spears or whichever Justin Timberlake is around at the time: he's 30 and he's figured out that to survive in the glittering world of American pop you have to play the game. What's certain is that he's decided to play it by his own rules: let the others adapt to him.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

03/03/2014