Seeing Sounds by NERD: An Album Review

Well there's nothing really wrong with NERD's latest musical endeavor Seeing Sounds, there are some cuts on there I truly like. The fact is however I played it out almost immediately after I got it I found it to be very easy to listen to. Pharrell's lyrics, well they are always puzzling, part of why I like him. Instrumentally however it is simplistic with only the breaks, in almost all of the songs, providing some change of scenery while traveling through the album. I can't help but compare it to the previous two NERD albums In Search of and Fly or Die. I liked Fly or Die there were some really good complex song on there but I find In Search of to be the most interesting and complex composition of the three.

I was a little late when I first got In Search of but I fell in love with the out of the box styles Chad and Pharrell melded together. Don't get me wrong there were some easy to comprehend song on there as well but there was a mixture of the two. Seeing Sounds I fell in love with when I first heard, but I find myself avoiding listening to it and it hasn't even been out 2 whole months yet. I feel like I've already heard it and there is nothing new to look forward to. There are no intricate layers of sound to keep my mind captured and rediscovering each song as if it were the first time I just feel kind of like I've been there done that. Sooner or Later is actually now my favorite song off the album though it sounds kind of like Maybe Pt 2, the tight guitar riffs and those drums keep me on my toes and at that point I can feel the music. It makes me want to do something what that is I don't know, but it moves me inside. I guess I expect and want more from Chad and Pharrell and don't forget about Shay. I love their unique and colorful play on music, but I miss the In Search of sound. It seems like they were being safe with this album trying to keep their style with a little bit of mass appeal.

Overall Seeing Sounds is a good listen but it bores me after a while. I may have to keep it tucked away and rediscover it after a few months.

Interesting - Somewhat
Longevity- No
Entertaining - Yes
Out of the box - Somewhat

Bottom line I give NERD-Seeing Sounds 3 out of 5 stars