New Radicals front man Gregg Alexander realised he could make more money by ditching his band and writing hit songs for others (Ronan Keating, Michelle Branch). The fact he has written the same riff over and over again for the past 7 years is neither here nor there. Meanwhile, Virginia Beach duo 'The Neptunes' (Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo), the producers with the 'Midas Touch', decided to go the other way and start a band. Whether inspiration derived from having a bunch of songs that didn't fit the Top 40 mould or it was a case of "let's do it just because we can" remains unclear. Either way their debut album 'In Search Of...', a rap/rock beast under the name N.E.R.D., won them praise from the industry and critics the world over. Was there anything they couldn't do?

Two years on and The Neptunes still own the Top 40 charts just as Rupert Murdoch still owns much of the free world media. Deciding to still not rest on their laurels, Pharrell & Chad, along with third member Shae Haley, reconvened N.E.R.D. to make a second album. As if they needed to prove themselves once more to the public, they dispensed with services of their live band 'Spymob' and went and played all the instruments themselves. Is there anything they can't do?

'Fly Or Die' continues the balance between party songs and social themes that their debut delivered. However the sound is slightly different, sparser in some parts, no doubt due to the massive undertaking of the live playing on their behalf. A great example of this is 'Wonderful Place' with its whistling cadence and simple lead guitar carrying the bulk of the song. The fact that it sounds like a Bacharach song for the new millennium is another thing entirely!

A lot of 'Fly Or Die' has a real 60s feel to it from the anti-war song 'Drill Sergeant' to the title track with its up-beat drumming that totally contrasts the serious subject matter of a troubled teen with his life in the balance. The same theme is then carried on into the next track 'Jump', a song that is helped by Punk band Good Charlotte's Joel and Benji Madden, a few guys who write whole albums on such topics.

Apart from the Madden twins and cameos by Lenny Kravitz and The Roots drummer ?uestlove Thompson on 'Maybe', the guests list on album two is virtually non-existent compared to 'In Search Of...'. That's because The Neptunes already released a separate album last year, showcasing the young talent on their label. But lack of guest rappers doesn't mean a lack of great funk/hip-hop tracks. Opener (and Prince homage) 'Don't Worry About It' along with first single 'She Wants To Move' will have dance floors and low riders shaking for a while to come while the hips will also be gyrating to the Latin-infused 'The Way She Dances'.

'Fly Or Die', like its predecessor, is a complete mixed bag which makes it hard to market. The best advice is to find an entry point that appeals to you (if such an entry point does not exist for your musical tastes then you don't get music) and take it from there. Sooner or later the rest will hook you in. Speaking of hooks, how is that Alexander chap going?