The Spirit Indestructible (U.S. Deluxe Version)

Six years since her last English-language studio album, 2006's Loose, Nelly Furtado continues to seek inspiration from the club beats and techno-influenced productions that brought her to national attention, but with additional approaches that smooth out her sound. "High Life," which features a perfectly set rap from Ace Primo, best illustrates how Furtado and producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jenkins work a variety of guests and styles into a mainstream sound. Nas joins in for "Something," produced by Salaam Remi, who also handled the board duties for a duet with Sara Tavares on the glorious, dreampoppy "The Most Beautiful Thing." While these special guests add an extra boost, Furtado does just fine on her own. "Bucket List" has a melody that's simply gorgeous. The official album's closing track, "Believers (Arab Spring)," is a dramatic anthem that rocks, bounces, and expresses the triumph of the human spirit. The U.S. deluxe version betters the original album with several notable bonuses, including the punchy "Hold Up" and her collaboration with the Kenyan Boys Choir on "Thoughts," also presented in a remix version by Tiesto.