But The Neptunes, the massively successful production team of Chad Hugh and Pharell Williams, apparently couldn’t think of a better pseudonym for their latest project than N*E*R*D. (For those interested, it’s an acronym for No One Ever Really Dies.) Fortunately, N*E*R*D is far from a vanity project like the horrific Fieldy’s Dreams. In fact, the debut album, In Search of N*E*R*D, is an eclectic collection of tracks both adventurous and accessible.

The CD begins with the first single, “Lap Dance.” Although it uses some of rap’s most tired lyrical clichés, the song has a great, bass-heavy hook and a fighting spirit that makes it edgy. The duo ups the soul quotient on “Run To The Sun,” perhaps the closest thing on this album to a heartfelt love song. The chorus of “It goes while you’re here / I want to tell you something / it’s that I love you girl / and I wish we could run to the sun/and never come back” could fit into any syrupy pop ballad, but fortunately the beats keep things interesting.

In Search of N*E*R*D falters with the angry rant of “Rock Star.” With its failed combination of rock and rap, the track sounds like a reject from Limp Bizkit’s last album.

The Neptunes fare better when they take familiar sounds and change them into something completely fresh, as they show on “Things Are Getting Better” and “Am I High.” It is these types of songs that make In Search of N*E*R*D innovative and an essential listen for hip-hop fans.