October 18th, 2006

Release Date: July 25th, 2006

Genre(s): Pop, Dance

Runtime: 62 minutes, 42 seconds

Record Label: Geffen

Myspace Page: Click Here

Nelly Furtado's latest effort is a bit different than her last two albums.

I never heard her double platinum debut album "Whoa, Nelly!" way back in 2000/2001, but I did like the singles she had. "I'm Like A Bird" and "Turn Off The Light" were refreshingly different than the cookie-cutter pop music of the time like O-Town (remember those guys? I think I still got that "Liquid Dreams" song stuck in my head..) and LFO ("New Kids On the Block had a lotta hits/Chinese Food Makes Me Sick"). Many people even went as far as to label her the "Anti-Britney" because it seemed her music was always much more of a focus than her image. Furtado, as I'll mention later, has a really distinct singing voice and style that easily seperated her from the teeny boppers and I really enjoyed her stuff from back then.

While I never got around to downloading that album, I did hop on getting her sophomore effort "Folklore" in 2003. Apparently, it did horrible numbers in the United States sales and charts wise. I mean, it was a good CD, it was just radically different that the majority of the stuff you hear on the radio on a daily basis so it's hard to market. It's a sad fact that most Americans have no tolerence for music that doesn't have thumping bass and Lil' Jon shouting "WHAAAT?!!" every 12 words. Nelly faded away from the spotlight for a few years after that.. I assume to just collect her self creatively and take some time off since she was having her first child.

Then came the rumblings of a new and "different" album coming from her. Last time I heard "new and different" was from Jewel's pop makeover in 2003 lol. Does anyone remember that one? Jewel's concert ticket and album sales were completely in the shitter so she gets repackaged, aka "totally sexed up", and starts making pop music. The music was okay, but it didn't feel genuine in the least bit.

I was kind of skeptical on the whole deal with Nelly until I heard the first single from "Loose" called "Promiscuous" (and if you haven't heard it somehow, a sample clip is in the player to the right). I heard it on a cell phone commercial back in April and didn't even know it was by her at all. So it was a drastic change.

What soothed my anxiety was the fact that Timbaland was doing a lot of the beats on the album. I liked the guy's production before I started making beats, but now that I do and understand the work that needs to go into it, I respect Timbo that much more.

Plus, the two of them just have chemistry -- just look back to the songs Nelly hopped on that Timbaland produced in the past like the "Get Ur Freak On" remix for the Tomb Raider soundtrack and "Ching Ching" with Ms. Jade. His crazy ass beats fit her style like a glove. I wouldn't say she's his new Aaliyah since Nelly doesn't really do R&B, but I can't help but draw the comparison. I decided to wait awhile before finally downloading the whole album, but I was so sick of hearing "Promiscuous" on MTV and radio that I wanted another Nelly fix lol. Turns out that "Loose" is one of the better albums I've heard this year.

While this is "new and different" when put up against her last albums, it's not a "MC Hammer to Hammer on Death Row Records sell out" by any means. It's more like an evolution of her music than a forced metamorphosis, and in this case, change is definitely good.

What's so good about it? Well, I already mentioned the spot-on Timbaland production, but I should give the guy props for being able to do music other than rap and R&B beats. I was genuinely impressed he came with something different than I expected. Furtado's vocal style is also entertaining and equally impressive. She has a unique way of vocalizing that can make jibberish sound like it takes talent to say. If that doesn't make any sense (lol), listen to the album and you'll hear all kinds of vocalizations in the background that just add to the whole feel of a song. In the same kind of bizarre way, Timbaland kind of does the same thing with his beats.

He's always in his studio (which is on his tour bus) making all kinds of sounds with his mouth he later tweaks and adds effects to. I said on my myspace page that he can make a beat out of any sound possible, like somebody coughing or a baby laughing, and still have it be hot. So the jist of what I'm saying is their outside-the-box approaches, like Timbo and Missy Elliott, are a match made in heaven and I can't see anyone else producing for her.

The Canadian songstress also said the album is titled "Loose" because she didn't want it to sound so polished. In an interview I read she said she likes the sound of her demo tapes better than her final mixes, so the final mastering stage was skipped.

Don't get me wrong, it's not Nelly and Timbo in a bathroom with a Wal-Mart mic by any means (lol), but Nelly said she wanted it sound like a rock album volume wise (i.e., loud). I don't really notice a difference between this stuff and other stuff on my iPod nano, but whatever haha. Additionally, she credits System of A Down and all kinds of 80's music as inspiration for material on the album.

If you liked the lead single, you'll enjoy tracks like "Maneater," "Do It," and "Wait For You" which have the same get up and dance vibe of "Promiscuous". Especially "Do It," which sounds like you took a time machine back to 1987 (not that I remember that year clearly since I was one years old and everything). It's probably the most 80's sounding modern song I've heard in a long, long time if not ever (which is great because I'm an 80's music nut). "Say It Right" is also another stand out production. Furtado explained how she experimented with a lot of vocal effects in the studio to make this sound different in a few interviews I've read, and I have to applaud both her and Timbaland on this one. For a lot of people, this might be their favorite track. I kind of glossed over it at first but it really grew on me over time.

There aren't too many slow tempo songs on here, so people who absolutely hate ballads and shit should feel at ease... but even the slower, more laid back stuff is still enjoyable. Besides, it's a nice break from fast paced stuff. I should also note I'm reviewing the "leaked" version. I checked the track listing for this on Amazon.com and it's missing 3 of the tracks I have. So that leaves the album with one slow, relaxed song. So chug a Red Bull and hit play, I guess haha.

At the end of the day, this is a very solid CD (I could have done without the Bubba Sparxxx wannabe named "Attitude" on the first track, though lol). Even the songs you probably won't like as much as the others will grow on you and over time and you'll enjoy the entire album. I mean, look at me, I usually hate songs in other languages (I'm growing on Japanese music thanks to Nathena and her friends), especially Spanish.. but I enjoyed "No Hay Igual". No clue what's being said, but I dig the vibe lol. I'd say this is worth buying *gasp*, but only if you still buy CDs on occasion. Like if you're no where near a computer or p2p stuff while on a vacation or something in another city, then pick this one up. Or you can just download it in 8 minutes for free off Bit Torrent, your choice lol. Here's to hoping she'll work with Timbaland again...

And doesn't she look absolutely great for being a mom? Why can't Britney Spears lose the baby weight??

Paq's Favorite Tracks:

1. Afraid
2. Wait For You
3. All Good Things (Come To An End)
4. Showtime

Paq's Least Favorite Tracks:

1. Let My Hair Down (wtf, this is super horrible lol)