| XXL Record Review/ June 2001 by Leah Rose N.E.R.D. In Search Of�(medium) It once seemed as if The Neptunes couldn�t miss. After producing pop-hop chorus driven hits like Mystikal�s biggest single ever, �Shake Ya Ass,� and Jigga�s addictive �I Just Wanna Love You (Give It 2 Me),� the Virginia-based production duo has become hip-hop�s most sought after commercial beat chefs. Since stars only get 15 minutes of fame it�s only right that The Neptunes would bank on their sky-high demand. So like fellow beat makers turned artists, Timbaland and DJ Quik, The Neptunes are releasing their own album, In Search Of�, under the alias N.E.R.D. (No One Ever Really Dies). The result is an eclectic mix of techno-based, alternative hip-hop and R&B, topped with lyrics that fluctuate from cool to cornier than Steve Urkel. On In Search Of� the signature vocal melodies of Pharrell Williams shoot an accuracy of 50/50. Sometimes he makes a pleasurable bond with the track and other times he sounds as flat as Lil� Kim before surgery. On the folk-ish �Provider,� over somber guitar fondles, Pharrell, sounding a la Everlast on a bad day strings together the story of a man who claims he�s got no choice, but to hustle. Then the listener must stomach pictures of some nerd getting head as Pharrell gets his Rick James on about how he gets off on �Brain.� �Girl unlatch your bra/ But first unlatch your jaw/ It�s cool to call me dog, but your head is under my paw.� Luckily the group�s saving grace is their first single, �Lap Dance� which remains in tune with their sonic scrapbook of past hits. And there lies the downfall of In Search Of� Too many of the tracks resemble those of past Neptune work. Like the single, beat fractions for �Things Are Getting Better,� and �Truth Or Dare� are borrowed from Nore�s �Superthug� and �Oh No.� Even more eerie is �Tape You� which owns the same guitar sequences as �I Just Wanna Love U.� Not saying The Neptunes� production reign is over, but releasing an album tat sounds like a collection of patchwork remixes is in no way an investment in longevity. |