Seeing Sounds - N.E.R.D.

...when it started; I started seeing sounds...whoah"

Admittedly, the first time I heard this album it sounded like complete and utter nonsense - merely a lot of noise all happening at once. Yet, having listened to the album in its entirety a few more times, it really grew on me as I uncovered different layers to it.

'''--- Band Members: ---'''

Pharell Williams - Vocals, Piano, Guitar
Chad Hugo ...
...recounting his childhood memories of seeing sounds. He is accompanied by a xylophone and plucked strings - reminiscent of the Desperate Housewives soundtrack! The song then evolves in to a much darker sound, with a thinly layered blues-bassline and drums. Then, completely out of the blue comes a synthesizer for the chorus; only to be followed by the aforementioned blues bassline. At this point, first-time listeners like myself will be utterly baffled ... more

--- Background: ---
N.E.R.D is an acronym for the band's basic belief that "No-one Ever Really Dies". Having reformed this year, the band has come back with a massive mix of different musical styles and influences ranging from jazz to hip-hop, rap, soul and rock. Evidently lead singer Pharell Williams has noticed this, saying "We didn't care about genres; we're not doing this for the money." According to drummer Shay Haley, the album is named after the neurological phenomenon that is synesthesia. This is something that I myself actually have, and is when a person sees music, letters or words as colours. Pharell opens the album with the spoken lyrics:

"I'll never forget I was like 7 years old, I closed my eyes and that's when it started; I started seeing sounds...whoah"

Admittedly, the first time I heard this album it sounded like complete and utter nonsense - merely a lot of noise all happening at once. Yet, having listened to the album in its entirety a few more times, it really grew on me as I uncovered different layers to it.

--- Band Members: ---

Pharell Williams - Vocals, Piano, Guitar
Chad Hugo - Lead Guitar, Piano, Backing Vocals, Bass, Saxophone
Shay Haley - Drums, Backing Vocals

--- Track-By-Track ---

1. Time for Some Action - 3:43
As mentioned in the Background section, this song opens with Pharell recounting his childhood memories of seeing sounds. He is accompanied by a xylophone and plucked strings - reminiscent of the Desperate Housewives soundtrack! The song then evolves in to a much darker sound, with a thinly layered blues-bassline and drums. Then, completely out of the blue comes a synthesizer for the chorus; only to be followed by the aforementioned blues bassline. At this point, first-time listeners like myself will be utterly baffled by the way N.E.R.D have just broken so many musical norms. Some people will just take the CD back, and some will carry on listening with anticipation and curiosity. I give this song 4/5

2. Everyone Nose - 3:27
This song was the first single off the album; and rightly so. It starts with a smooth, jazzy double-bass that is soon followed by Pharrel's rapping. I have to say I was amused by the fact that the hook, "at you, at you" sounds like "atchoo", presumably the reason the track is titled the way it is. It's quite refreshing to see musicians include an element of comedy in their songs - and it was the first time I'd ever found myself dancing and laughing at the same time! This track has a massive range of influences, from the jazzy double bass to the resonating drum 'n' bass basslines to the muted trumpets. There's even a piano-and-vocal solo in the middle! This song completely sums up what N.E.R.D is all about, so without a doubt this is 5/5

3. Windows - 2:59
This is another hilarious song about a boy spying on his neighbour through his window. It begins with an extremely catchy guitar riff that plays throughout most of the song. This song reminds me of Gym Class Heroes' song "Girlfriend", mainly because of the ridiculously catchy vocals. There isn't as much musical variety in this song as in Everyone Nose, but it is still a great song in its own right. 4/5

"The best time to watch is like 1 or 2 o'clock
In a perfect world, she could come over & rock
I wonder if she would be fumbling a lot
She's taking off her clothes and 'bout to close the win-dow.

She slipped the bill through my gate that was entitled "Windows"
Win-do-do-do-do-do-dow
She said don't go Micro-soft you like it when I bend low..
Win-do-do-do-do-do-dow
She said, I see what you mean 'cause that's my twin, Yo
Win-do-do-do-do-do-dow
and umm.. We see you starring in our windows..."

4. Anti-Matter - 4:02
This track kicks off with a huge distorted guitar riff that will remind everyone of the White Stripes' massive "Blue Orchid". It is followed by a female voice and a heavy drum beat. Pharell then begins to rap as the drums develop into an unmistakeable drum 'n' bass rhythm. About half way through the song drops into a completely vocal section, layered with a brilliant beat and piano. The lyrics are completely contagious, making this another 4/5:

"Motherf***er are you A.D.H.D. A.D.H.D. A.D.H.D.?
You jump around like you A.D.H.D. A.D.H.D. A.D.H.D.?
You kiss the steel like you A.D.H.D. A.D.H.D. A.D.H.D.?
You f*** around like you A.D.H.D. A.D.H.D. A.D.H.D."

5. Spaz - 3:51
Spaz is the second single off the album; and was used as the soundtrack in the Microsoft Zune adverts. This is one of the most up-beat songs on the record, with tantalizing drum 'n' bass beats that will remind you of Aphex twin - as well as the heavy guitars reminiscent of some of Korn's earlier releases. These instrumental layers are coupled with Pharell's ingenious lyrics; encouraging the listener to "Spay if you want to". This is definitely one of the biggest tracks off the album and definitely worth a listen. Undoubtedly a''' 5/5'''

6. Yeah You - 4:07
At this point, there is a definite divide in the album. The previous five songs have been much more lively and danceable. Yet the rest of the album is in my opinion a bit of a let-down, with less variety of genres and more generic beats and vocals. That said, some of them still make for extremely catchy songs. Take "Yea You" for example. This is the kind of laid-back R&B/Blues that one would play on a Saturday night as background music. There is still the both jazzy and syncopated double-bass throughout this whole song that will remind you of the brilliant acoustic basslines used by the Gotan Project. The inclusion of the smooth saxophone melody furthers this relaxed style. Unfortunately this track is a bit soppy for my liking - especially after the brilliant previous 5 songs. Nevertheless, it still merits a 3/5

7. Sooner or Later - 6:43
Unfortunately, this is the song on the album where we learn that Pharell should never ever sing in falsetto again. The music for the track is all too similar to the previous song; with cheesy piano and depressing lyrics "Sooner or later it all comes crashing down.." It's not unfortunate that N.E.R.D managed to see sound, yet could not see sense enough to delete this song. 1/5

8. Happy - 4:36
Again, this song should never have been put on the album. N.E.R.D seem to be completely ripping off The Police here. Sadly, I wouldn't be able to tell this song from a B-Side by a failed Latvian '90s tribute band. Pharell's vocals are again irritatingly whiney. What possessed him to think he could sing instead of rap? 1/5

9. Kill Joy - 4:10
Fortunately this song has spared us of Pharell's falsetto. That said, it doesn't mean that the track is anywhere near as good as any of the first handful from the album. The rhythms are a decent combination of percussion and standard drums. But I was put off by the vocals because it wasn't singing, rapping, or even screaming. It was just a lot of shouting. Give this song a miss and make yourself a cuppa. 2/5

10. Love Bomb - 4:36
Thankfully this isn't as bad as some of the previous tracks on the album. The musical part of the track is actually very laid-back, yet it works surprisingly well. It reminded me of the Groove Armada song "At the River", which you may have heard as the theme song for the Marks & Spencer adverts. Unfortunately, it is ruined by Pharell's vocals. Again. Admittedly they aren't as terrible here as they were in the previous songs. But still, N.E.R.D could just as easily hired a more soulful female vocalist and kept Pharell on the triangle for this track. 3/5

11. You Know What - 4:31
What do N.E.R.D think they know? Evidently they know how to spoil the makings of a brilliant album. This is just another mediocre song that really disappoints following the cluster of anthems we heard towards the beginning of the record. Still, it's not dire - just a little tasteless and repetitive. On the other hand, I have to admit that I found myself tapping my feet to the chorus of this song, which can't be a bad sign! 2/5

--- Overview ---
As you can tell, I was completely shocked by the complete slump in the music's quality half way through the album. N.E.R.D is all about being different, experimenting, and breaking musical boundaries. Sadly, they only did this for 5 tracks. In fact, I would have paid full price for the first 5 tracks alone; at least it would have been one of the most revolutionary EPs of the year - or even decade. But by including the bland and tasteless tracks on this album, this album will disappoint most of us. These tracks actually hinder the content of the album.

In conclusion, I don't recommend you buy this album. Instead, buy the first five tracks off iTunes for a cheaper price. Sure, the album cover is great and looks good - but its not worth the money you pay for it. Just download five songs for £3.95 and save yourself some money as well as saving your ears. 

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