An occasional waiting period between albums from any artist is expected. It could be one year or ten, but fans always hope the finished product is worth the wait. Nelly Furtado released her last English album back in 2007. Loose was a multi-platinum success and brought the artist back into the spotlight. In 2012, Furtado returns with The Spirit Indestructible, her fifth studio album, a project that takes influences from both halves of the artist: the pop/Top 40 loving half and the indie/hippie half. Both halves fuse together to create a unique, creative and enjoyable listen that will certainly divide critics like every one of her previous efforts has.
The album begins with the title track. Released as the second international single, the track contains Furtado’s signature vocal style as she sings lyrics with an inspirational and encouraging message. My first reaction was positive, I loved everything about it, including the random chanting of vowels that seems to be thrown in just for the sake of having some sort of hook. To me, it is a perfect start.
Many people saw the death of the album prior to its release due to the decision to release “Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)” as the lead single. While I can say I did not fully appreciate the track at the beginning, it did grow on me. Furtado excels on the verses, my favorite part of the track, however, the hook and chorus were simply average. Good song, but not single material.
Nelly slows things down a bit for “High Life”. Accompanied by a stomping beat, Furtado’s vocals soar as high as they can. At times, the range may be too much for the singer, but I personally enjoyed the performance. “Be careful when you’re wishing for the high life,” Furtado warns about fame as Ace Primo provides an additional rap verse with a voice I was not expecting.
“Parking Lot”, which was just recently serviced to radio as the official U.S. second single, is a hybrid of a song that Nelly classifies as a “banger.” The track will not fare well on radio, but its uniqueness should be commended. The song draws influence from many genres, occasionally coming off as a mix of Gwen Stefani and Cazwell. Again, good song, but bad choice for a single.
The tempo goes back down again for “Something”, a collaboration with Nas. The artist’s vocals are soft and beautiful which to a stuttering when delivering the hook. “I know we can make something out of nothing” is a line of optimism and the desire to find love, the message of the track. Nas’ verse was not really necessary, but still a job well done. It keeps everything on a good route.
A laugh from Furtado kicks off “Bucket List”, a song of looking to accomplish everything in life before it ends. It seems the artist longs for the first kiss from that special someone before she bites the dust. Some of the lyrics may be a little cheesy, but it gets its point across. Nelly’s vocals are great once again and I am sure many people can easily relate to the song.
I got stuck in a trance I never wanted to get out of when “The Most Beautiful Thing” came through the speakers. Funny title as the song is probably the most beautiful thing on the album. Furtado’s vocals are as low as can be which give them a soothing effect to them. The song is not complicated and that is why it succeeds. Close your eyes and let the music take over.
The intro to “Waiting For The Night” had me scared until the beat picked up and everything proved to be okay. The song is one of the true highlights off the record. Furtado transforms from an innocent bystander on the verses to a performance radiating diva level attitude without really having to try. Throw in a little Latin flavor and you have a song I constantly have on repeat.
“Miracles” is amazing in two different ways. Furtado is a woman in love and it shows during her perfect performance, her voice is good as is. Now, get past lyrics such as “I will never again walk alone” and focus on what is happening in the background and you will appreciate the track for a whole other reason. Put the two aspects together and you have a strong addition to the album.
If the project had a misstep it would be “Circles”. From its opening, I knew it was going to be an awkward moment for me and Nelly. The song does nothing for the artist. It stretches out notes she cannot hit and then completely overshadows her vocals with production fit for a 80s video game. The artist asks for us to dive into her, but the song made me look the other way.
The vocal performance from the previous track carries over into “Enemy”, but to be fair the finished product is a tad bit better. There is nothing horribly wrong with the song, except that it is boring when compared to the rest of the track list. The chorus is too repetitive and does not add anything exciting to the song. It seems the album is losing steam towards the end.
The album closes with “Believers (Arab Spring)”. The drums were an indicator of something good coming up and I was not disappointed. Furtado gives it her best rock and roll try and I liked what I heard. The song sounds out of place from the other tracks, but that’s fine. Asking where all the believers and healers are, Nelly finishes the album off with an experiment that worked.
The Spirit Indestructible will unfortunately become a gem that does not get to fully shine like it should. In its first week of release, the album sold a dismal 6,000 copies and will more than likely end up a commercial failure. It should not though. Furtado waited five years before jumping back into the studio to create a new English album. The time paid off. Every song, with the exception of one, represents true talent and creativity. You do not get the same thing over and over again like with most pop releases. Its downfall is the single choices, but give the whole thing a listen and it will be worthwhile. The Spirit Indestructible receives an 85%.
Tracks to Hear: “Spirit Indestructible”, “The Most Beautiful Thing”, “Waiting For The Night”, and “Believers (Arab Springs)”
Nelly Furtado - Waiting For The Night (With Intro) from Richard Hero on Vimeo.
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