CULTURE BOX SINGER-SONGWRITER

 

 

Kate Nash | "Made of Bricks" | 3.9 |

 

"Made of Bricks"; its an quirky choice of title for Kate Nash's debut LP. The cover art fits within the theme too with a grand doll's house taking the mid-ground and a cheaply photoshopped image of Nash taking the foreground. Its rare for an album's artwork to opitimise the very being you are about to listen to but "Made of Bricks"'s art does so with striking accuracy.

 

NME and Kate Nash having something of a tight relationship; for both rely on the other. Nash for the exposure and NME for the sales; in the age of 07 she is what symbolises the "mainstream" youth music culture. A decade ago the likes of Aqua and B*Witched took her place as the conditioned, mass-marketed creatures of the day. If one were to compare Nash to the likes of these fuddy duds of 90s crash-pop you'd have the Topshop fashion elite up in arms at such lewd suggestions. The reality is that Nash takes up this mantle every way willingly; the only difference is she does it with a whole lot more class.

 

One may note very little has been said of the album itself as of yet and with good reason too. Nash is surrounded by 00's teeny-bopper NMEsters, the media at her feet and more spin then Fox News on a bad day. It sounds eerily like a certain Allen woman except Nash lacks the execution musically at least, to pull it all off.

 

"Made of Bricks" starts rather jerkily with the trite "Play", this is the introduction to Nash and its as bitter and wry as it comes. Lyrically the song is a total paradox when juxtaposed next to the following track "Foundations" whose success was smartly put down to its "relatable" lyrics. "Foundations" is, rather unsurprisingly, one of the few saving graces of this vacant, shallow debut set. Harsh words they may sound but deserving when taking tracks such as "d!*kh**d" and "$h!t Song" into account; Nash attempts (in a rather awkward manner) to bring attitude to her sharp, 'cockney' vocal tone, the resulting affect is one of wincing and boredom. The monotony of the lyric "Why ya being a d!*kh**d for? Stop being a d!*kh**d" in Nash's rather uninterested tone certainly doesn't fit in anywhere within this album; let alone as early as track four where it simply leaves any sane listener wanting to skip forward.

 

Tracks such as "Mouthwash" and "Pumpkin Soup" symbolise where this entire album goes awry. Both are admittedly catchy but neither seem to connect as songs themselves. Both feature rather clangy, noisy instrumentals and these fail to mix with the vocal delivery, creating something of a disinterested cacophony. The matter isn't helped by the fact both feature some terrible lyrics, more so "Mouthwash" which builds up into a chorus of "I use mouthwash, sometimes I floss, I've got a family and I drink cups of teas". It nigh-on shocking that Nash, within her arrogance believes that she can cast such somnolent lyrics onto a listener, but this is where Nash is backed up. Her listeners (like those of 97) are simply too pre-occupied within the humdrums of image and style and themselves nonchalant to the music itself. This leaves Nash a free reign to be as smug as she very well pleases.

 

There's a wide range of styles on MOB but non seem to fit together particularly tightly, weak boarderline-insipid beats which feature on the likes of "We Get On" and "Pumpkin Soup" ironically wouldn't sound out of place on 90's bubblegum LP. It seems almost deliberate that the music is lazily produced on MOB, as if to allow Nash's vocals to take centre stage and this does more damage than good unsurprisingly. With very little going for the album both lyrically and musically its shocking to discover there are actual gems covered in this grim trainwreck of an album. The Kate Bush-esque "Mariella" builds up into something quite charming and shows that Nash isn't all smug and no depth, hear she describes the story of a girl who "stuck her lips together with prit stick" typical-Nash but the structuring of the song musically and lyrically actually leads to a story Nash manages to tell in an effective manner (a la "Foundations"). "Merry Happy" manages to work to some effect also where Nash manages to stay on the right side of quirky with her reality-lyrics.

 

Beyond these few and distant lyric nuggets there's very little going for what is very much a style-over-substance debut from Miss. Nash. When stripping Kate Nash back from the scene she has been divulged into with gratitude and the much interested media press tabloid fodder (with whom her ramblings/their opinions have become a staple of the column inches), you're left with a very empty, egotistical debut album which seems more intent on taking your money in it's stylised dominance. Its music for the masses and just highlights very little has changed a decade on, same tricks. Different scene. To crown Nash the female Mika would be blatant but also equally inaccurate; her true title is as 'the Aqua of 07'.

Wow, you wrote that yourself? You're a bloody good writer, most people on here can't write a decent paragraph even when they try.

 

I haven't got the album though so I can't say I agree :lol:

Edited September 5, 200717 yr by Slick

Wow, you wrote that yourself? You're a bloody good writer, most people on here can't write a decent paragraph even when they try.

 

I haven't got the album though so I can't say I agree :lol:

Yeah its all my own writing [plagiarism is bare wrong under any circumstances o:]

 

MOB just isn't my thing :( I DID/DP really like her but the album itself is very transparent and she's changed an awful lot under the conditioning of a large music label.

Very good review, i don't agree with most things you said, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion, you did a great job with it ^_^

I agree on everything you say...

No of the songs have any melody, Foundations is the only song with a tune to it

 

Excelent review (8.5!)

Meh, I disagree with about everything you said, but as I used to aspire to be a music critic I still found this a well written review.

Very well written review even though I tend to disagree. ''Made Of Bricks'' is one of my fave albums of the year along with ''Good Girl Gone Bad'' and ''Riot!'' ^_^

To crown Nash the female Mika would be blatant but also equally inaccurate; her true title is as 'the Aqua of 07'.[/size]

 

Why crown her the female Mika, what has she done to harm the musical innovation of Sparks :lol:

 

and obv if she 'the Aqua of 07' she must be good as Aqua were a great act for their choosen demogrphic and genre (Barbie Girl still sounds good today. Another song for Terry Hall and Ian Broudie to cover!!!!). much better than Toy-Box and Daze but second best to the nutter known as the cartoons. well aisy wasy lets go buy the NME!!!

 

(She the cover star this week)

I think it has 7 good tracks on it but I find the swearing unnecessary in the song titles

 

I really don't need to spend my spare time listening to tracks called $h!t Song and d!*kh**d, plus the music on these two tracks is awful too

:huh: ...The lyrics to "Mouthwash" are AMAZING :o

 

Just listen...she's basically saying "This is me, this is who I am, I have my faults...I wanna make this work and I hope it does but just accept me for who I am or f*ck off" ...she's SUCH a talented song-writer.

 

 

(btw...comparing her to AQUA? lol..)

 

:huh:

:huh: ...The lyrics to "Mouthwash" are AMAZING :o

 

Just listen...she's basically saying "This is me, this is who I am, I have my faults...I wanna make this work and I hope it does but just accept me for who I am or f*ck off" ...she's SUCH a talented song-writer.

 

Wow! You have worded it so great :wub:

:)

LOL.

 

I don't really like Kate Nash as she just sounds like a poor imitation of Lillie, and i don't like the way she seems to just talk her way through the songs with that irritating accent!

Topic cleared

 

Apologies for all of that ^_^

@Jake:

Review very well written!

Totally agree with this one:

you're left with a very empty, egotistical debut album which seems more intent on taking your money in it's stylised dominance. Its music for the masses and just highlights very little has changed a decade on, same tricks. Different scene. To crown Nash the female Mika would be blatant but also equally inaccurate; her true title is as 'the Aqua of 07'.

 

TBH Nash sings like a hen :lol: