Right on schedule, three years after her last album, 2009's "Mi Plan", Nelly Furtado fires up again with another album, this time titled "The Spirit Indestructible". Although, it takes a moment to realize that it's been a full six years since her last English studio album, 2006's "Loose". That's an eternity in the pop world, and of all the acts to come out in 1999-2000 (P!nk, Britney, Christina, etc), Nelly has been the one with the least amount of commercial success. However, that is definitely no fault of her music, which equals (and sometimes far surpasses) that of her contemporaries. Then again, what makes Nelly Furtado a unique individual is that she doesn't make music with the masses in mind. Despite the Timbaland-helmed "Loose", what's always been her trademark is her originality. In fact, even her sex-up makeover in 2006 wasn't pure calculation, rather, it was just another way for her to explore different genres. That change of pace was well needed, since its predecessor "Folklore" failed to generate true success. "Loose" has proved to be a pivotal moment in Furtado's career, not only for the change of sound, but also the first time where she saw a world outside of herself. She began to allude to her inner turmoil, not chronicle every minute of it, and thus created more universal songs. This transitioned well into "Mi Plan", and so conventional wisdom would dictate that "The Spirit Indestructible" would just be an English version of that album, and essentially just offer the same.
In a sense, that is correct. "The Spirit Indestructible" contains plenty of world beats and it accepts many cultures, but the heavy-footed hooks, the thumping bass and window rattling choruses suggest that Nelly isn't about to leave the club culture behind. So, she tries to find a compromise between those two extremes, and manages to shove everything she can into twelve tracks. This requires heavy exertion, which is blatantly obvious, and it also requires a collaborator with much knowledge of the club. Not wanting to simply re-write "Loose", Nelly opts to work with Rodney Jerkins, whose been churning out hits for pop stars since the 90s, but also brings in Salaam Remi and Michael Angelakos to helm a couple tracks. This spells out "The Spirit Indestructible" to be her most adventurous effort, as well as her most impenetrable. Both statements are true: never before has she experimented with world music the way she does here. Also, this is an album that's not as stubborn as "Folklore", and it manages to do what it strives to be. Although, all of this work to create an all-encompassing record leads to quite a few stumbles, such as the stretch from "Miracles" to "Enemy". All three tracks are very trying, they're all ballads and they have that tendency, but something's missing in either Nelly's delivery or the cold production that makes them not appealing. Then there are the club-made singles like "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)" that try really hard to imitate Rihanna, but end up being a comedic (and most often hilariously satiric) track instead. Having too much ambition can drag an album down as well, and this fact is something that Nelly still has to learn. But even with all of its clumsiness, "The Spirit Indestructible" ends up being a worthwhile listen. From the excellent opener "Spirit Indestructible" to the riveting closer "Believers (Arab Spring)", there's something to be said of Nelly Furtado's execution. This isn't straightforward world-pop, this record is far too complex.
Unlike her contemporaries in 2012, Nelly has crafted a truly fascinating record, one that's too awkward for its time, but that doesn't mean it's not good. It may not reach the blinding heights of "Promiscuous" or "I'm Like a Bird", but it maintains a listener's interest. And it's hard not to at least appreciate "The Spirit Indestructible" because it's a very rare thing in the 2010s: a major label record that doesn't sink to modern trends, mocks the mainstream while wanting to wallow in it, and it has the unmistakable signature of an artist. All of these qualities don't make this album great, but they make it a cohesive and aspiring album, not just singles-n-filler.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Spirit
Indestructible 2. Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)
3. High Life 4. Parking Lot 5. Something
6. Bucket List 7. The Most Beautiful Thing
8. Waiting
for the Night 9. Miracles 10. Circles
11. Enemy 12. Believers (Arab Spring)
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