CD REVIEW
Nelly Furtado
"Folklore"
(Dreamworks)

Entertainment
Art

By JON SINGER

Nelly Furtado – you love her or hate her.

On first listen, I hated Furtado's first single "I'm Like a Bird." Her thin, biting voice scratched the chalkboard at my brain.

But many people obviously loved her. Her 2000 debut, "Whoa, Nelly" went double platinum.

But, to paraphrase Jeff Buckley, watch out for the music you hate or you will learn to love it. Pink Floyd has that affect.

Progress actually came with Furtado's second single from "Whoa Nelly," "Turn Off the Light." I couldn't help but dig the creepy video and offbeat song.

The transition is now complete. After three years off, and at least one quietly out of the spotlight, Furtado has returned with "Folklore."

Let me tell you, it wasn't the first single "Powerless (Say What You Want)" that drew me in. It was simply this: I played the entire album, and it was fun. Fun means not too intense, but not droning and melody-free. It wasn't the Pink, and it wasn't Sarah McLachlan.

There's no way this album will sell 2 million copies like "Whoa, Nelly." I have grown to like "Powerless," "Try," and "Fresh Off the Boat." And I'm in love with "Força." But there simply aren't huge hits here.

It's obvious Furtado has matured on this album – for better or worse. It's tamer and smoother than her first record. It takes less chances. And it'll make draw in fans over 40. It's the kind of music that will battle with Matchbox Twenty and Train for VHI and Billboard Adult Contemporary chart superiority.

How do I handle this as someone who also likes trash rock like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs? Well, I got this CD for free. And I will listen to it, mostly while concentrating on something else, because it doesn't impose. Furtado is cool enough that I don't need to hide the album when my harder-music-loving friends come over. But, God willing, I won't spend money on any future Furtado albums unless they exceed the creativity and freshness of "Whoa Nelly."