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Back in 2003 Nelly Furtado released Folklore, a record that has come to be known as her ‘difficult second album’ (which is record company speak for ‘it didn’t sell very well’). It’s hard not to see Loose as an attempt to recapture the promise of Whoa, Nelly!, her well-received debut record. Too many more ‘difficult’ albums, and what started as a promising career might reach a premature end. So, does Loose do it? Unfortunately no, but that’s not to say it’s without merit in its own right.
“Afraid,” the opening track, features a simple, moody guitar riff that gives the song a slightly dark background. This sound suits Nelly’s voice and casts her as an artist of some depth. More songs of this nature and the album would have set itself above the work of her rivals. But it’s tracks like “Maneater,” “Promiscuous” and “Glow” that let her down. They could be by any number of similar acts, all of who are fighting for a share of the same market – Pussycat Dolls, Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani and even Madonna.
“Say It Right” once more shows what she’s capable of and, even though its sound is rooted in the 80s, it has a bit of depth. The gentler tempo of “In God’s Hands” is a refreshing change after some of the earlier pump and grind, but the lyrics are too sugar-sweet to be taken seriously. “What I Wanted” follows straight afterward and is a similarly slow number. Both songs show that Nelly certainly can sing, and because she’s not having to share vocal duties with one of the many guest rappers who pop up throughout the album, her voice fills the spotlight well. What sounds like panpipes provide the melody on “All Good Things,” but despite (or perhaps because of) this, the song is so Madonna it’s scary. And it’s this lack of a distinct, unique sound that lets the record down as a whole. There are a lot of piranhas in the pop music tank, all wanting a nibble at the big cash cow. I’m afraid, on the strength of this album, it seems like Nelly might go hungry.
