- Artist
- Kate Nash
- Label
- Fiction
- Release date
- 6th August 2007
- Genre
- Pop
Rushed debut album from Foundations star is disappointingly clumsy and lacks depth
Pop music is moving faster than ever and Harrow singer-songwriter Kate Nash is its Lewis Hamilton. This former BRIT Performing Arts School pupil started penning stories with her guitar a mere 18 months ago. Now, she’s a household name thanks to single Foundations seemingly staying at number two in the charts all summer. Its success has seen debut album Made Of Bricks opportunistically rushed through to release earlier than planned – and sadly, it really shows.
Many of these songs simply need more work both lyrically and musically. Birds and Nicest Thing are uninteresting spoken word narratives over melody-lite ditties that lack the wit and insight of, say, a Mike Skinner or a Lily Allen. Her London vernacular has meant Lily Allen comparisons are widespread but musically, Nash prefers perky piano to summery ska while her folky lilt bears no similarity to Allen’s sweetly melodic larynx. A folk direction you feel would benefit Nash: there is a wistful sadness about Foundations and We Get On that demonstrate an appealing depth of emotion. If pop music would only slow down – Made Of Bricks could have been far more solid.
More to try: Lily Allen: Alright, Still Jamie T: Panic Prevention The Maccabees: Colour It In
