N*E*R*D’s second album, Fly Or Die, is truly awful. It’s the sound of the Neptunes jumping gleefully into the vast abyss of the middlebrow and abandoning all of the sonic inventions and musical elasticity that once marked their work. Worse than that, it’s the sound of the penny finally dropping for those who have chosen to live in caves or under rocks for the last 4 or 5 years. Yes, Fly Or Die is the worst kind of crossover record.
The fact that this tepid, schmaltzy, assimilated nonsense is what N*E*R*D have to do to play festivals around the world is intensely depressing. The lead single ‘She Wants To Move’ ominously hinted at impending disaster and sadly it’s the best track on the album. As ever Pharrell’s lyrics are ridiculous, but the problem is they’re no longer endearing or funny. Tracks like ‘The Way She Dances’ lack even a sliver of the old Neptunes’ dynamism, and ‘Wonderful Place’ is a desperately trite ballad.
For an act that has so consistently warped the definition of a groove this is an unbelievably safe album. It’s lounge music, it’s Phil Collins meets Lenny Kravitz (in hell). This reviewer will always love Pharrell (he looks like a dolphin!) and Chad too (he’s the geeky one). But sadly there is nothing to love about Fly Or Die, and quite a lot to lament. If it wasn’t clear already, we now know the Neptunes should stick to letting others be the superstars. Let’s call Fly Or Die a tragic blip on a glittering resume and move on. Swiftly.