NBrid

"Fly or Die... Sink or Swim..." Which one will it be? N.E.R.D. is back with yet another Neptunes produced album (yeah, go figure). The real question is will it make you want to dance, or move to the next album?

"This is only for the kids!" (Fly or Die) Oh how times change. While N.E.R.D's first album "In Search of..." was loved by all smart enough to listen to it, it never really took off like it should have. People just knew them as "those guys that have that Lapdance song." (a.k.a. Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shae.) Since that time the Neptunes (Pharrell and Chad) released a #1 selling album ("Clones") and won a Grammy for Best Producer. So as not to make the same mistake as ISO, N.E.R.D. (no, not "nerd", N.E.R.D.) and Virgin Records are promoting the hell out of "Fly or Die". But ISO was a classic (see: N.E.R.D. - In Search of...), how does N.E.R.D's Fly or Die stack up?

Let me get the bad news out of the way first, NERD's (No one Ever Really Dies) "Fly or Die" is no "In Search of...". But just because Wind Waker wasn't as good as Ocarina of Time, doesn't mean it wasn't a damn good game. Same thing here. Fly or Die doesn't have a song as good as Rock Star, or even my other ISO favorites (Provider, Stay Together), but I already can't get these new N.E.R.D. songs out of my head.

Where as N.E.R.D.'s ISO could be described as more "bad ass", Fly or Die is better suited with the term "fun". I know that sounds cheesy, but it should! That's the point. It's a blast to listen to. It takes the beats you love from the Neptunes, and gives it more of a "rock" edge. This time the CD is more "radio friendly", to use a popular buzz word of the day. It's much more 'crisp' and 'clean' (musically, not lyrically). But that's FoD's biggest fault. It feels almost "overproduced" at times (two buzz words in one paragraph!). I liked the more "natural" feel of ISO. I mean they did delay the release of ISO forever here in the US to redo it with live instruments. But I'm just being picky because ISO was so great. (Just so you're not confused, FoD is also live instruments.)

So yeah, here's a quick run down of the songs.

Don't Worry About It: "She's bad, bad, bad ass." FoD kicks off with a bang with one of the best songs on the album. But don't for a second think it's all downhill from here.

Fly or Die: I think this has become my favorite song. It has an über cool jazz beat during the verse. Pharrell even talks about PlayStations! "Fly or Die, Sink or Swim, Which one will I choose?" I can't get it out of my head!

Jump: A love-hate track. I love the the upbeat, fast paced style. I hate the chorus of, "Jump, jump, jump, jump-jump!" Seeing as how this is a wannabe "teenage angst" song, the Madden brothers (Joel and Benji) of Good Charlotte had to make an appearance.

Backseat Love: This is FoD's "Brains". Unsettling in a humorous way. I'll leave it to you to add your favorite Tork joke here...

She Wants to Move: The first single. I could do with out that dog barking at the start, but this is a great song. Best described as a hip-hop jam song. Maybe a little too Santana-esque though (but the radio love's this). "Her ass is a spaceship I wanna ride!"

Breakout: Starts slow, dreamy; but then it... breaks out! Another catchy, up-beat tune that has become one of my all-time favorites. "Push People!" This song reminds you under it all, not all the lyrics are cheesy...

Wonderful Place: Think "Wonderful World", cheesy and beautiful (or is it beautifully cheesy?). I like the chorus a lot with its horn section. There is also what I will call a "post song" that is orchestrated and is pretty cool.

Drill Sergeant: It's no coincidence this song is next. (This is the complete opposite of Wonderful Place.) It's their obligatory anti-war song. When I first heard it I could of sworn it was the Rentals. So yeah, even though this is the cheesiest sounding song, you gotta love it! There is another "post song" here (further linking it to the previous song) that sounds a little too angry, and I'm not sure what to make of it.

Thrasher: No, that's not misspelled. This song comes the closest to ISO's "bad ass" feel. Which might be why I like this song so much. "Fuck 'em up!"

Maybe: I really like the "marching" drum beat (courtesy of the Root's ?uestlove) complimented by a guitar riff (courtesy of the Kravitz's Lenny). A slower song, but still sweet.

The Way She Dances: Not a bad song, but probably the most "generic" song on the album. A nice beat and melody perfect for those radio listeners. And hey, even Pharrell is on the buzzword bandwagon. "Slow motion like a dream, but real time is what it seems."

Chariot of Fire: The opening is some R&B rip-off that I can't stand, even though they apologize for taking so damn long for getting new music out (2 years since ISO, in the US!). But after that is a really cool song. It has a nice acoustic rhythm. There is a "hidden track" afterwards, but it's nothing too special.

Protip: Put the CD in your PC to watch a strange slideshow of images while the songs play!

Yeah, so there you have another long winded review. But I really like this album even if it's not quite as good as the classic ISO (or quite the same as it). So what. FoD kicks ass. I'm also still not sure how to classify this. Hip-hop, rock, rap, punk, pop, R&B, dance, jazz, it's all in there. As long as the cool beats, and cheesiness, is still there, I can't wait to see what Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shae of N.E.R.D. (or the Neptunes) do next. If I had to give this a rating, I'd give it at least a 4... out of 5. So in short, go get it now! (And get ISO too if you don't have that yet, loser.) So you can be cool just like me. So cool it hurts! Unless you want to stay a nerd... hey, wait!

Artist: N.E.R.D.
Album Title: Fly or Die
Date of Release: March 23, 2004
Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics

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