The new N.E.R.D. album Nothing was released last week, and has received some decidedly mixed reviews. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo don’t seem to be able to strike gold like they used to back in their early 2000s heyday, and this lackluster performance of “God Bless Us All” is indicative of their problems—it’s built on a stodgy groove that suggests their musical fascinations haven’t really progressed or changed at all over the years, further highlighting Williams and Hugo’s need to head back to the drawing board and give some of their trademark sounds a huge overhaul.
