Nash produces quirky pop album

March 19, 2008
Filed under Music Reviews, Reviews

British singer-songwriter Kate Nash has hit number one on the U.K. album charts with her debut album “Made of Bricks” and is quickly receiving international recognition. The album was released in the U.K. last August 2, 2007, five weeks earlier than originally planned due to the popularity of the single “Foundations.” Not only are Nash’s piano-pop melodies fun and easy to listen to, her lyrics are as well—yes, there is finally a pop artist whose clever lyrics define her album.

Each of Nash’s songs are small confessions of herself—one track, titled “We Get On,” could easily be a four minute chick flick, with lyrics about her liking a boy she hardly knows, seeing him with another girl and inevitably having to move on with her life.

Her blatant honesty and her witty sense of humor perfectly complement each other. In many of her songs, she rambles out side notes and other thoughts that don’t always have much to do with the song itself, unintentionally adding to this humor. In the song “Mariella,” she sings: “I’m far too loud/ It’s like, as soon as I’ve got an opinion it just has to come out.” While she may have no real poetic talent, her strong point lies in her unapologetic and true honesty.

Most of Nash’s songs regard the topic of love in some form or another; she sings of being in love, wishing for love, and her independence as well. In the popular song “Merry Happy,” she sings: I can be alone, yeah/ I can watch a sunset on my own/ I can be alone, yeah,” following lyrics about losing love.

Nash is clearly a very simple writer, however through her lyrics she writes stories addressing quite complex issues. She is able to make this work because she brings the issues down to such a level that anyone who hears the album can identify with them, no matter how old, how young, man, or woman.

All of this is combined with Nash’s strong English accent, making her songs not only easy to listen to but fun to listen to as well.

by Hannah Muenzberg, staff writer