Avg Rating: 
4.3 ( 20 total votes )
An album title can say a lot about an artist. For example, when someone named 50 Cent calls his album Get Rich Or Die Trying, we can assume they’re all about cash, and that they’ve been shot in the face nine times. Similarly, when N.E.R.D. titles their new album Seeing Sounds, an allusion to a neurological condition called synesthesia which causes people to combine senses (for example tasting smells or seeing sounds), we can immediately determine two things about them. One, they smoke a lot of pot. Two, they most likely suffer from producaphobia, a … ...Read the full album review
Fans can also check out N*E*R*D's previous albums: N.E.R.D. - Nothing
DJBooth Album Review
An album title can say a lot about an artist. For example, when someone named 50 Cent calls his album Get Rich Or Die Trying, we can assume they’re all about cash, and that they’ve been shot in the face nine times. Similarly, when N.E.R.D. titles their new album Seeing Sounds, an allusion to a neurological condition called synesthesia which causes people to combine senses (for example tasting smells or seeing sounds), we can immediately determine two things about them. One, they smoke a lot of pot. Two, they most likely suffer from producaphobia, a condition which makes people afraid to be “only” a producer and pathologically compels them to grab a mic and step into the spotlight. Producaphobia is highly contagious and lately has been spreading like the bubonic plague; for every producer who’s catapulted to stardom (Kanye), there are ten for whom it’s nearly fatal (I’m looking at you Rocko). So just how serious is N.E.R.D.’s case of producaphobia?
N.E.R.D., or as they’re more commonly known, “Pharrell and those other guys,” are the rock star division of The Neptunes empire. Not content to be America’s favorite club producers, the staggeringly successful duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo recruited their friend Shay Haley to form N.E.R.D. as an outlet for all the music they wanted to make, but couldn’t because Gwen Stefani insisted on spending entire tracks spelling the word “bananas.” Subsequently, N.E.R.D. has placed themselves at the forefront of the genre cross-pollination movement, recklessly covering their rhythmically dense beats with a pop-rock exterior. That makes the group, and most notably Seeing Sounds, the musical equivalent of watching Ludacris act in Crash: it’s surprising, even sometimes astounding, but no matter how good he is, in the end you’d rather he just stuck to rapping.
Unfortunately for them, N.E.R.D. is at their best when they sound like The Neptunes. Now there’s a lot of people out there who find the chaotically grooving Everybody Nose overwhelming, but those are probably the same people who have never tried sushi. Keep in mind that it’s a strange track for Pharrell and company to make too, the densely layered complexity of Everybody Nose is miles away from the starkly minimalist beats that made them famous, but this is the reason they made N.E.R.D., to push the genre to almost ridiculous limits. While I may not love it as much as the coked-up girls in L.A. who’ve adopted it as their anthem, there’s a sonically dangerous quality to the track that I can’t help but feel. Running in a close second is the aptly-named Spaz, a track that lays a soothing melody over darkly jerking drum lines and a hard-rock edged chorus, plus some absurdly styled lyrics. If Seeing Sounds was an entire album of Everybody Nose and Spaz (not to mention Yeah You and Kill Joy) I’d be a happy man. Then again, if artists catered to my every desire Gucci Mane would never rap again and Amerie and I would be vacationing on the French Riviera.
Like dating a girl with a great personality, I wanted to love Seeing Sounds, but I just couldn’t seem to commit. And then I realized one crucial thing; Pharrell just isn’t very good behind the mic. He can’t really rap, his lyrics almost entirely revolve around meeting girls, and his singing is decent at best. On tracks where he isn’t the sole vocalist that amateurish quality can work perfectly (see Hova’s I Just Wanna Love You), but Seeing Sounds spends a lot of time in the kind of pop-rock territory that demand a little too much of Pharrell’s frontman capabilities. On Windows he vocally fumbles across a sharp guitar line and hipster fueled percussion, complete with aggravating background vocals and a pointless monologue. Similarly, Sooner or Later takes a page out of the 70’s rock David Bowie sound book, attempting to expand a simple piano harmony into an epic chorus, but where the music explodes, Pharrell just sputters. That doesn’t mean he can’t pull off a great song, Love Bomb is a good cut in any genre, but unfortunately it’s more rare than common on Seeing Sounds.
In the end I can appreciate Seeing Sounds for the vastly creative work it is, but I just can’t bring myself to like it that much. The public will never embrace N.E.R.D. like we have The Neptunes, not because we don’t “get it,” but because this incarnation of Pharrell’s musical multiple personalities just isn’t as good. Someday we’ll find a cure for producaphobia, until then…
Listen to More: N*E*R*D Written by Nathan S.
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Member Reviews and Ratings
Average Member Rating: Total Ratings: 20
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DJ Booth Member |
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 excellent review Nathan.. i luv it wen u break down da album track-by-track...
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| Posted on Jun 11, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 11876 |
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Okay album, good cover art, great review! When I heard that I was unable to receive 'producaphobia' I jumped for joy. Nathan, what kind of research do you currently have about this horribly infectious disease that is taking over the bowels of the music industry?
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| Posted on Jun 11, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 906 |
Finally someone has coined a term for producers that feel the need to spit on the mic even though they dont have the skills! Thanks Nathan. What would you call a rapper who also thinks he or she can sing?
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| Posted on Jun 11, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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producaphobia...lmao,it's a serious disease! but i based this album's rating on the creativity behind it...sure pharrell is both a lackluster mc as well as singer and the other two members are more or less inexistent. both the creativity in 'seeing unique sounds' as well as the production! almost anyone would admit fully, somewhat or reluctanctly that these tracks would have done better if a better vocalist had handled it. and in comparism to fellow 'producaphobics' albums like swizz beat's...this is genius!!!
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| Posted on Jun 11, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 155 |
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I actually digged this album.
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| Posted on Jun 11, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Crew |
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N.E.R.D is an outlet for hip-hop heads (like myself) to be able to say that they listen to an actual "band." Pharrell, Chad, and Shay are the only dudes in hip-hop that can pull off a pop-rock band and still incorporate hip-hop influences at the same time. "Seeing Sounds" is clearly more experimental and innovative than their previous two albums, but their musical intent hasn't changed a bit. I agree that Pharrell has holes in his vocals and rhymes, but no one else will be able to compliment N.E.R.D's distinctive sound as well as Pharrell. Nobody can do what he did on "Everybody Nose," the band's chemistry just works. I had the chance to see them at the Glow in the Dark Tour and I was completely shocked at how well they performed live. I decided to skip on a Kanye souvenir and get a N.E.R.D shirt instead.
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| Posted on Jun 11, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 91 |
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I love this album. Period.
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| Posted on Jun 13, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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Genius Album
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| Posted on Jun 13, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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I love this album
recommend to anyone/everyone!!!!!!!! |
| Posted on Jun 13, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 8303 |
Excellent Review Nate! Great Writing for the DJbooth Team! Represent!!!! Anyway, You just made me want to listen to the album to comment...so; that's what I'll do...be back soon!
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| Posted on Jun 14, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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perfection
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| Posted on Jun 16, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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perfection
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| Posted on Jun 16, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 35 |
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Well this album has had a lot of bad reviews...but yea, this album is experimental i agree. N.E.R.D brings something fresh to each track and creates a completely solid yet diverse album.
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| Posted on Jun 17, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member Total Ratings: 35 |
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oh and i give it a 4 1/2... (1/2 is for the fact that pharrell is hot ans sexy!) haha
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| Posted on Jun 17, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member Total Ratings: 35 |
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keep REAL hip hop ALIVE!!
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| Posted on Jun 17, 2008 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 1309 |
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I agree 99,9% with your comment TONE+Chef! Only I think they are not “the only dudes in hip-hop that can pull off a pop-rock band and still incorporate hip-hop influences at the same time”. There’s Gym Class Heroes… try their last 2 albums! ;) “Seeing Sounds” is HIGHLY enjoyable/recommendable!
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| Posted on Jun 17, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 34 |
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Great review! Despite the weak tracks and Pharrell's voice not being the greatest, I still think this album is pretty dope.
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| Posted on Jun 18, 2008 |
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for those who never really listen to rock, this is a good way to start, i guess. for those of us who HAVE listened to rock, this is like a garage band, with a black dude singing. nothing special here.
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| Posted on Jun 18, 2008 |
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Tastemaker Total Ratings: 1309 |
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I see what you mean DJJ, but I DO listen to rock everyday, and one big difference you should acknowledge is they are not a rock band but rather an alternative one, experimental, cal them funk rock, call it whatever you want or, in the end, don’t label them at all, cuz no one else sounds like NERD! Honestly, I think it's a big mistake not to appreciate NERD just cuz they don’t sound like “real” Rock.
Pharrell Williams explains: “What is a N*E*R*D? N*E*R*D stands for No-one Ever Really Dies. The Neptunes are who we are and N*E*R*D is what we do. It's our life. N*E*R*D is just a basic belief, man. People's energies are made of their souls. When you die, that energy may disperse but it isn't destroyed.” |
| Posted on Jun 19, 2008 |
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FredRico, I'm not sure what that Pharrell quote adds to this discussion (lol) but my point is they really don't sound that experimental at all. Sure it's different, but only on a basic level, like taking a basic song and tweaking some aspect about it. When I think experimental, I think Incubus, before they changed their style to what they're most known for. I think of 311 back in the day. When I think of funk, i'm thinkin Red Hot Chili Peppers. But when I listen to N.E.R.D i'm thinking of something more main-stream but slightly different... like Lenny Kravitz...
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| Posted on Jun 22, 2008 |
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Correction: today's Incubus is still very experimental
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| Posted on Jun 22, 2008 |
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Tastemaker Total Ratings: 1309 |
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Lol, I see the confusion with the Pharrel statement! My point with it was that they ARE their own musical genre! It’s what they do (as Pharrel says, “N*E*R*D is what we do”). The fact is Incubus or RHCP couldn’t pull a NERD track off! So you may not even like it, but don’t let it be just cuz they don’t sound like good rock.
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| Posted on Jun 23, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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absolutely original like usual. Pharrell is my idol.and he never disappoints. and by the way. i cant agree more with FredRico. sry donjonjon. any ways high recommended album
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| Posted on Jun 26, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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These dudes always set the trend for hip hop...when they come with something EVERYONE follows, thats what makes them dope.
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| Posted on Jun 28, 2008 |
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| Posted on Jun 30, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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sound
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| Posted on Jul 19, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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This is a very underated album, people need to be more open minded about music. In a couple of years people will be loving this album, this is because the neptunes are so much further ahead than other artists. People will come round to it.
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| Posted on Jul 19, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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This is a very underated album, people need to be more open minded about music. In a couple of years people will be loving this album, this is because the neptunes are so much further ahead than other artists. People will come round to it.
There are no bad songs on this album and no songs that are too similar This will be a classic. Guaranteed. |
| Posted on Jul 19, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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great great cd pha real and the neptunes always bring something sick to the table love the drums on this lp
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| Posted on Sep 18, 2008 |
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