Whoa Nelly - Nelly Furtado > Reviews > Superb and original

Author's product rating:   

Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Value for Money

Advantages:	Upbeat and some fresh new ideas .
Disadvantages:	May not appeal to everyone .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This album since being released in the UK in March has been subject to unsurprising scrutiny. Nelly Furtado, a portugese-canadian, who is daughter of the Latin legend Tony Furtado, is a determined and very talented young woman. At 21 she has already stormed americas music scene with this latin edged hip hop debut and upon release in britian she has worked hard to promote it here. As well she might, for a great deal of pride should be felt for such a winning first album. There is not one track on the album that fails to impress and a great many that instill a feeling of awe. Aside from her immediately apparent good looks, she has a voice that she can harness to fit an eclectic range of music styles, distinctive and intoxicating. To demonstrate this her voice flexibility could be compared to having the sound of Macy Gray, husky, seductive, and soulful, to Gwen Stefani from the days of No doubt, which is altogether different in sound, excruciating-melody, but in a wonderful way. The style of her album is not a single one but varies between Ballads such as i'm like a bird her new single, and Hey,man, both of which contain incredible rhythms and undeniabley enchanting chorus'. the album also ends with three very latin bais tunes that simply ooze with intelligent writing and are evidence of her deep latin roots. The remainder of the albums is hip hop or verging on powerfully emotive slow rhumba like tunes comparible to Bebel Gilberto's debut release, 'tanto tempo'. there is no question that this is an excellent album, but for a debut it deserves reverence! I recommend this album to anyone who appreciates intricately formed latin beats but also anyone whose head is turned by the sound of hypnotic melody and upbeat hip hop rhythms, as this album has it all and so much more you can only understand upon hearing it.....