Nelly Furtado - Folklore

[mdc3000]

This came out last week and I haven't seen much mention of it. This album is incredible. It is extremely diverse and shows that Woah Nelly was no fluke. It has some very great dancey pop, some extremely moving ballads (Try is easily my favourite song right now) and really doesn't get stuck in repetition... instead of trying to milk the mainstream success (ie. 12 tracks that all sound like "I'm Like A Bird" part 2) Nelly really goes out on a limb, making a record that is as ecentric as hell....but that's a good thing. Furtado fans should be delighted, I'm really loving this album.

MATT

[dolphinboy]

Now if you'd asked about Me Against the World, you'd be swamped with replies.

I like the album so far. I've only listened to it once, though. I'm not sure if I like it better than the first one, but what I'm impressed with is that there are no FF songs. She doesn't seem to put any filler on her albums.

Forca is my favorite track so far. I kind of was surprised with the release as I don't pay much attention to lists. If I see a video or someone bring it up or I see someone scheduled on one of the late night shows, I ususally know to look for something.

The first time I saw her new video and then saw her on Leno, the CD was already out. I ran out and got it, but it was still surprised I hadn't heard about it at all.

[boogieman03]

Just wanted to chime in and give this album a huge recommendation. I'm not sure if it's better than Whoa Nelly, but it's up there. Loved the first disc for it's diversity and this one is no different.

Fav song right now: #9 The Grass is Green

[Rogue588]

Lyrically & vocally, I pretty much agree with this review. Musically, i'm diggin' it..

Nelly Furtado -- "Folklore" (DreamWorks)

Nelly Furtado is like a Benetton ad come to life. On the surface, she's gorgeous, exotic and provocative, which provides an ideal distraction from the stunning lack of substance below.

Last year, the singer broke through with a CD, "Whoa Nelly!", that promised to deepen trendy pop and hip hop with bits of "world" music. In interviews, Furtado, who was raised by her Portuguese parents in British Columbia, played up her ethnic background. And she earned magazine covers with a face that hinted at another culture and conformed to a universal notion of beauty.

It was such a fetching package, few bothered to comment on the little matter of Furtado's flimsy voice. While she proclaimed "I'm Like a Bird" in her biggest song, she sang more like an ailing crow. Thin and wavering, her voice sounded wobbly enough in the studio. Live, it became a shrill warble.

On her second album, Furtado plays the heritage card more than ever. She called the CD "Folklore," though it's unclear precisely which folk culture we're talking about. There are pieces of Portuguese fado, splashes of samba, traces of Brazilian tropicalia and American country. But the album remains essentially a mainstream pop effort, with even less of the last CD's dash of hip hop.

And yet, on one track, Furtado presents herself as "Fresh Off the Boat," like she just stumbled onto these shores from Timbuktu. In another song, she duets with Brazilian legend Caetano Veloso, a dramatically unflattering comparison. In "Powerless," she complains about the media treatment of her ethnicity: "Paint my face in your magazines/Make it look whiter than it seems." Precisely the opposite is true. The media sold her eagerly — if condescendingly — as an "exotic." In other lyrics, she pulls a typical second-album move, telling us we don't know the real her and that she's not a "One Trick Pony."

The most genuine aspects of the album are the arrangements and instrumentation. Dulcimer, banjo, Hawaiian guitar, tabla and accordion show up. But they ultimately fulfill the same function as rhythm stunts on dance records — to distract you from an iffy singer. If some songs on "Folklore" have their catchy pop moments, they hold roughly the same appeal as leafing through a fashion magazine. They're decorative, but empty.

[TwineTime]

Eh. Personal taste I guess. I think Nelly has an awesome voice. I've seen her live a few times and she sounds great. I think the writer may have missed the point concerning Fresh Off The Boat and One Trick Pony. Seems he's the one so interested in how exotic and pretty she is that he's not really listening to what she's trying to say.

[uncle-frank]

i think folklore is her best album

[AndyCleveland]

wow, cant believe someone resurrected this from 5 years ago. anyways, yes this is her best album.

[Hollowgen]

Originally Posted by AndyCleveland

wow, cant believe someone resurrected this from 5 years ago. anyways, yes this is her best album.

the post is gone, but it was spam.

in any case, folklore is the only album of hers i haven't listened to. almost forgot that it existed. time to give it a spin.

[AndyCleveland]

Originally Posted by Hollowgen

the post is gone, but it was spam.

in any case, folklore is the only album of hers i haven't listened to. almost forgot that it existed. time to give it a spin.

key songs: "Try", "Fresh off the boat", "explode", "Forca"... the rest is amazing and the entire album will grow on you after a couple listens.

also download the "try" radio edit as it's pretty much a completely different song and worth having.

[The Bus]

What? "Fresh Off the Boat" is a really annoying song.

I liked this album a lot, and it was nice to see her working with Kronos Quarter, Béla Fleck, Caeatano Veloso(!)*, etc.

I don't think it was good as her debut, which I actually bought three times (the US version as a copy, and the UK and Asian versions for remixes).

I'm not terribly interested in her new work.