Nelly Furtado - Folklore

On her second album, Nelly Furtado takes a hard left turn. The colorful but incomplete fusion of her debut, Whoa, Nelly!, gives way on the tellingly titled Folklore to an approach that lets in some acoustic sounds that take the music in an entirely different, richer direction. At times sounding like a dead ringer for singer-writer Sam Phillips (whose work colors each episode of the TV series "Gilmore Girls"), Furtado aims for more rock-oriented ground without losing the Brazilian influences that are so much a part of her identity. Her voice and tunes are strong, and both words and music paint a young woman still very much in movement, change, flux. It’s an intriguing sound, and one that thoughtful listeners will cherish. --Rickey Wright Amazon.com

Not so fast

I loved Nelly Furtado on the "Loose" CD and I love her in concert. I was impressed with the many positive reviews on here of her CD "Folklore."
It was an easy decision to get it after all the positivity. HOWEVER, after listening to it many times it has not grown on me and I really am disappointed in it. I do not see how so many loved it. Not me, I wish I had of never had bought it. May 23, 2008

Very underrated

Shortly after I bought this CD a few years ago, I read a review on Rolling Stone's Web site that gave it just 2 out of 5 stars. I remember thinking the reviewer was either crazy or had an axe to grind with Nelly. Then the album sold very few copies. I saw Nelly in concert at a small venue in New Jersey during the tour for this CD, and while it was a great show, it was not a full crowd.

But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I still love this CD. It definitely lacks the killer mainstream hit, but "Saturdays" is the only song on the CD that I don't really like. I can put that album in the CD player and not touch a button for an hour. It's a great listening experience.

I've always considered "One Trick Pony" my favorite song on the CD. "Explode" is also great. "Try" is a beautiful song. "Childhood Dreams" is a heartfelt song that I could listen to over and over. "Build You Up" has a pretty nice beat to it despite its solemn tone. Nelly is a skilled songwriter, and she remembers her roots while experimenting with new sounds. Regardless of what the critics say, I love this CD and always will. April 3, 2008

A Personal Favorite

I purchased this CD the day it came out, and it has been a favorite ever since. I believe that this CD showcases Nelly Furtado's talent unlike any of her others. (Although I am very fond of her first CD and like Loose well enough) Folklore is defiantely worth a listen. August 31, 2007

A wide-eyed adventure. 4.1 stars.

I'm going to start off by saying that this is my first album from her. It's great and I imagine that it'd be hard for her other two albums to be better, especially Loose.

But anyway...

I'm now a big fan of Nelly Furtado because of this album. It shows her talent as a writer and also displays the truth, realism and magic that she is truly capable of.

When she stepped on the scene in the early 2000s, I didn't really think much of her. In fact, her debut single, Like A Bird kinda made me want to smash the radio. However, there was something special about Turn Off The Light that caught my attention.

Flash forward to 2003. Nelly drops her second album, Folklore and her first single from the album, Powerless (Say What You Want). While I liked the single, it didn't make me wanna go out and purchase the album, so I didn't. A year or two later, I was standing in line at Tops (before it got torn down and changed to Martin's) and her radio single, Try was on. I enjoyed the song, but still, no buy.

Fast forward to January 2007. I finally buy the album. And although it is a bit uneven, it still has its moments, and is worth owning. One-Trick Pony is the start off track and is very "stand out-ish" with its oh-so-not-typical Hip-Hop beat. Explode is refreshing. Try, I admit, was the first song in a LONG while that had made me sad. For some reason, it got to me. Fresh Off The Boat has an upbeat demeanor. Forca definitely isn't your typical pop song. And I mean that in a good way. The Grass Is Green is laid back - the guitar and the enchanting lullaby-esque production work make it so.
Picture Perfect is a delight. I used to listen to it when walking around the Fredonia campus sometimes (I only took a music class there) and it was kinda relaxing. Saturdays is the first song that I just don't get. Nelly just lists a couple of things: the place she's at, her feelings and what's happening and it's not very exciting. And it never takes off. And while the next song, Build You Up is MUCH better, it's also very repetitive. Island Of Wonder is kind of a head scratcher. But I'd rather listen to that than anything T-Pain puts out! Childhood Dreams is adorable, and very anthem-ish by the end. Took me a while to "get it" but now I do. The only thing is it might be a bit too long, running at 6 minutes and 33 seconds.

I guess this CD displays Nelly's culture in a way, with the different sounds it gives, if that makes any sense.

It has a few bumps, but most CDs do. This one has them at the very end. But overall, if you want a unique pop experience that mildly makes you think, then you can't miss this!

One-Trick Pony - 9.5 (4.75 stars)
Powerless (Say What You Want) - 8.5 (4.25 stars)
Explode - 9 (4.5 stars)
Try - 10 (5 stars)
Fresh Off The Boat - 8 (4 stars)
Forca - 8.5 (4.25 stars)
The Grass Is Green - 8 (4 stars)
Picture Perfect - 9 (4.5 stars)
Saturdays - 5 (2.5 stars)
Build You Up - 7.5 (3.75 stars)
Island Of Wonder - 7 (3.5 stars)
Childhood Dreams - 8.5 (4.25 stars)

Best tracks:

Try
One-Trick Pony
Explode
Picture Perfect

Worst track:

Saturdays

50/12 = 4.166666667

4.166666667 = 4.1

4.1 stars.

End note: If you've NEVER heard a complete Nelly Furtado release, I would start with this one or the first, Whoa, Nelly just so you get a taste of what she's really like without the AWESOME beats of Loose. That sounds weird, but TRUST me, just get her first or second release FIRST (I've reviewed all 3 of her albums already)! August 23, 2007

Review of Folklore

I purchased Folklore from Amazon when it was first released, and it seemed to me that Nelly made this album effortlessly. There's still the energy that she was loved for on Whoa Nelly! but with Folklore there is a calm in many of the songs. It was an awesome moment to finally receive this album and discover what had been going on in Nelly's head since her debut. Though there was a bit of worry and melancholy with Whoa Nelly, with Folklore it seems she'd learned and accepted harsh reality. A bit of her dreamer's sleep had died away. And yet there's still songs like Fresh Off the Boat, Explode and Powerless that are signature to her style: fun, exciting, intricate songs with intelligent, impressive, personal lyrics. Forca is one of my favorites from the album as well as Picture Perfect, One-Trick Pony and Try. Childhood Dreams is absolutely beautiful and Grass Is Green makes me feel the way I felt when I used to place Well, Well from her first album on repeat. One-Trick Pony was a wonderful way to start this album off. Build You Up is worth a mention as well, with it's message of unconditional love. Saturdays is completely stripped and I admit, amusing. The only song that I dislike is Island of Wonder. For me personally, this is my favorite Nelly album though her debut nearly ties. I know it's unnecessary to compare an artist's efforts to one another, but I was blown away by Folklore, and I certainly recommend this album over Loose, which is sad in comparison. August 14, 2007

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