Folklore

Nelly Furtado

DreamWorks Records

3 stars

You might have heard Nelly… Folklore

Nelly Furtado

DreamWorks Records

3 stars

You might have heard Nelly Furtado’s hit tracks “I’m Like a Bird,” and “Turn off the Lights,” from her debut album, and if you didn’t, you must not listen to the radio or watch television.

Furtado burst onto the music scene in 2000 with her debut release, Whoa Nelly! Almost overnight, she was a household name and suddenly there were two Nellys in the music business.

Her multi-platinum debut is a tough act to follow. A very tough act, in fact, as she had several tracks from the debut album climb the Billboard charts.

This time around, Furtado has chosen to mix it up a bit. She crosses more boundaries than most artists do during the entire span of their careers, and on only one album. She combines everything from hip-hop to acoustic guitar to folk music and even a little bluegrass. Furtado isn’t afraid to play what she feels, and with her interests being as diverse as Jeff Buckley and Smashing Pumpkins, as well as numerous others, she feels quite a lot.

The first single from Folklore, “Powerless (Say What You Want),” has a twangy folk feel with a ringing acoustic guitar mixed with funky hip-hop beats. “Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you/ But when you feel so powerless, what are you gonna do/ so say what you want.”

“Try” is a beautiful song with an acoustic guitar opening, and as the song develops, more instruments mix in, including scratches from a DJ and drums. Furtado’s angelic voice rings high above the musical accompaniment. “Then I see you standing there/ Wanting more from me/ And all I can do is try.”

Like with her debut album, every track on Folklore is different. She takes funky hip-hop and fuses it with acoustic and electric guitars. Some songs have the sweet harmonies and beautiful voice of Furtado, fitting for a quiet night with that special someone or alone, while the hip-hop tracks are good for any dance party.