Search - Kate Nash :: My Best Friend Is You

Indie Rock chick!

Nse Ette | Lagos, Nigeria | 04/20/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When she released her debut "Made of bricks" in 2007, comparisons were made between Kate Nash and fellow Brit Lily Allen, especially as both found initial fame online, Allen's plugging of Nash, as well as the British-sounding Pop both produced.



While Allen headed in a more Electro Pop direction for her sophomore, Nash has hooked up with producer Bernard Butler (Duffy, Sharleen Spiteri), and the sound this time is sixties Pop/Rock and girl groups like the Shirelles or Shangri-Las; jangling/chiming guitars, brass, strings, and lushly layered harmonies. The hand clap-filled "Paris", the incredibly catchy "Kiss that grrrl" ("I bet she doesn't like to eat, I bet her feet don't even stink" she sings about some girl she's afraid is about to snatch her guy), "Don't you want to share the guilt" (with a subtle acoustic intro and coda with a verbose stream), the Phil Spector-ish lead-off single "Do-wah-doo", and the lovely "Later on" (in which she declares "I used my body and his desperation") best epitomise this.



Her arcebic wit is still very much on display, and a few songs, "Early Christmas present", and the acoustic ballad "I hate seagulls" (in which she declares her dislike for just about everything), are nearest in sound to her debut, though there is no Dance/Pop like "Pumpkin soup" or "S*** song". Hidden at the end is the brief acoustic title track, inspired she says by her grandparents who have been married for 57 years.



Where she really stretches herself are on a trio of songs; the Punk "I just wanna love you more" (with sparse lyrics repeated continuously interspersed with squeals, yells and humming which get more fevered as the song progresses, against a buzzing, squealing and reverbing guitar backdrop), the messy psychedelic "I've got a secret" (with dreamy vocals, fuzzy guiitars and electronic fluorishes), and "Mansion song" (which starts off as an expletive-filled tirade fired at male musicians who take advantage of female fans, before skeletal beats and playground/cheerleader-style chants come in).



A delightful follow-up which should finally put paid to those Lily Allen comparisons."

Don't worry Kate; I'll be listening to you `long time'...

Andrew Ellington | I'm kind of everywhere | 06/23/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First things first; I think that Kate's debut album `Made of Bricks' is one of the smartest and more well rounded albums I own. It is witty and charming and unique and all around lovable and I continually listen to it for days on end without ever getting tired of it. I've been highly anticipating this album since first hearing `Mouthwash' since I was determined to own everything that Nash released. Overall, this sophomore album is certainly inspiring and original and engaging and just plain fun. It is NOT as good as her debut, but expecting her to blow us away twice in a row is kind of unrealistic. There are some low points here, but her creativity is present on nearly every song and so she should be applauded for `going there'.



Like one reviewer already mentioned; Kate Nash has guts, and she isn't afraid to expose them.



Spreading her natural cheeriness all over this album with newfound influences that range from 60's surfer-girl rock to folk to punk rock, `My Best Friend is You' is certainly full of lots of goodies.



I'll start with the good.



The first big "wow" (for me) came from `Kiss That Grrrl', the song that professes explicit warning for her man to `stay away from that other chick'. I have become smitten with V.V. Brown as of late, and this whole surfer rock influence becoming modern feel is just really exciting to me (I absolutely love that movie `That Thing You Do' for the sheer fact that it makes me smile, and this music in general has that same affect on me). You couple `Kiss That Grrl' with the ferociously explosive `Do-Wah-Doo' (oh, you WILL be singing along) and you have two very capable and engaging reasons to run out and buy this album.



The `Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly Remix' of `Do-Wah-Doo' is a little slowed down and not as impressive, but it's still fun.



I love the stop-go piano flirty-fun of `Pickpocket'. This is very much the Kate Nash from `Made of Bricks', and this is definitely what she does best. You have to admire someone who not only writes the lyrics but also writes the music (and plays the piano, guitar, drums etc.). She is all around impeccably talented. Oh yeah, and the breakdown ("baby out, get out") is filled to the brim with emotion.



Nicely played.



The layered beauty of `Later On' and the closing `I Hate Seagulls' is not to be underestimated. `Later On' in particular is just stunningly sincere and incredibly catchy. It has the feel of early Nash, but it has a maturity as well. The simple story of mismatched love and regret is poignant and ever-reaching, and that explosively (and surprisingly) stirring chorus has me listening to this song over and over and over again. `I Hate Seagulls' is a soft and subtle way for Nash to close her album, offering us a look at her perception of love. The way she exposes all the things she hates and how they matter nothing at all thanks to the fact that she has the love of someone whom she loves dearly. It's a sweet and moving ballad, and a brilliant way to end the album.



The opening track, `Paris', recalls Nash's debut album. It lets us know that she is still her fun-loving and cheeky self. Personally, it doesn't have the punch I wanted for an opening track (`Kiss That Grrrl', in my opinion, is the real album opener). `Early Christmas Present' is a great example of the poppy-greatness that exudes from Nash. I love the playful (albeit deep) lyrics and the way in which it is delivered is spot-on.



`Don't You Want to Share the Guilt' has its moments. I like the way that Nash uses seemingly obscure lyrics to paint a vivid and honest picture. Singing about how BBQ is good may seem odd, but it actually works marvelously. I wish that the song had a little more `pop' and I found the spoken rant at the end to be the tracks highlight, but it also kind of felt disjointed.



I'm on the fence with that one.



The punk influences on the album aren't as effective as I would like to have seen them. `Take Me to A Higher Plane' comes off slightly manic and chaotic, but not in a good way. Her vocals, while interesting, don't really `stretch' in the right direction when she starts throwing out high-pitched punk screams. `I Just Love You More' suffers mainly from lack of real content. If becomes redundant, and while I kind of like its structure, it just doesn't stack up. It is better than the ridiculously miniscule `I've Got a Secret', which deserved a little more effort. `You Were So Far Away' is very folksy, which I like, but then again it comes off somewhat out of place on this album. It is a very different sound, and she has what it takes to pull it off (her voice is effectively muddy and deep here) but I think she needs to work out some kinks.



`Mansion Song' is kind of preposterous. I mean, it is vulgar to no end, and somewhat interesting but at the same time rather repulsive. I just don't get it.



In the end, you still need to own this album. It is original and engaging and wholly entertaining. There are very few artists and challenge themselves to remain true to their viewpoint and there are very few artists who drip with as much style as Miss Nash. She is certainly one to continue to watch. I cannot wait until she drops her next album!



For those interested, here is my track ranking:



1) Later On

2) Do-Wah-Doo (album version)

3) Kiss That Grrrl

4) I Hate Seagulls

5) Pickpocket

6) Early Christmas Present

7) Don't You Want to Share the Guilt

8) Paris

9) Do-Wah-Doo (Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly Remix)

10) I Just Love You More

11) You Were So Far Away

12) Take Me To A Higher Plane

13) I've Got a Secret

14) Mansion Song"